Date
4-7-2026
Department
Graduate School of Business
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Organization and Management (PhD)
Chair
Brandt Smith
Keywords
Abusive supervision, social exchange theory, telecommunications retail, leadership behavior, qualitative case study
Disciplines
Business | Leadership Studies
Recommended Citation
Siu, Zenitzia, "Abusive Supervision in the Telecommunications Retail Sector: Effects on Job Satisfaction, Performance, and Employee Turnover" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8171.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8171
Abstract
I addressed the problem of abusive supervision, which adversely affects job satisfaction and employee engagement, resulting in reduced organizational performance and increased turnover intentions in telecommunications retail. Guided by social exchange theory (SET), this qualitative single-case study explored how leaders interpret their awareness of their leadership behaviors, and how these interpretations align with or misalign with employees’ perceptions. The data collection involved 21 leader interviews and 25 open-ended survey responses, analyzed using SET’s deductive coding and NVivo's inductive theme development, with methodological triangulation across both data sources. Four core themes emerged deductively: (a) reciprocity, (b) trust and commitment, (c) cost and benefits, and (d) exchange breakdown. The findings revealed a persistent misalignment between leaders and employees in their perceptions, as well as a divergence from the core concept of reciprocity in SET. Lack of accountability and inconsistent, imbalanced exchanges increased emotional exhaustion, while supportive leadership practices strengthened trust and commitment. The study’s findings revealed emotional exhaustion and turnover intention as direct consequences of failed stewardship. Therefore, turnover intentions emerge from emotional exhaustion and a sense of uselessness, not only from an imbalance in the exchange. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by clarifying how leader-employee exchanges deteriorate from relational inconsistencies; therefore, abusive supervision is a relational and perceptual issue as well as a behavioral one. Based on the findings, I recommend actionable strategies, relational leadership competencies, transparent accountability systems, and empathetic communication systems.
