Abusive Supervision and Contextual Performance: The Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion and the Moderating Role of Work Unit Structure Samuel Aryee 1 , Li-Yun Sun 2 , Zhen Xiong George Chen 3 and Yaw A. Debrah 4 1 Aston University, UK, 2 Macau University of Science and Technology, China, 3 The Australian National University, Australia, and 4 Swansea University, UK ABSTRACT This study examined the processes linking abusive supervision to employee contextual performance by focusing on the mediating influence of emotional exhaustion and the moderating influence of work unit structure. Data were obtained from 285 subordinate–supervisor dyads from three manufacturing companies in north-eastern China. The results revealed that: (i) emotional exhaustion mediated the relationships between abusive supervision and the contextual performance dimensions of interpersonal facilitation and job dedication; and (ii) work unit structure moderated these relationships such that the relationships were stronger in mechanistic than in organic work unit structures. KEYWORDS abusive supervision, contextual performance, emotional exhaustion, work unit structure I dread each day coming to work. Once inside the door, I feel ‘chained’ to my desk like a prisoner. My boss is the ‘prison warden’ who delights in ‘torturing’ me with a daily barrage of public criticism and ridicule. I feel so powerless, like a ‘pawn’ being played in one of his power games. My friends ask . . . Why do I stay and take this abuse? – Manager cited in Bies and Tripp (1998, p. 203) INTRODUCTION Recent scholarly efforts to understand the dark side of organizational life have focused on dysfunctional or deviant workplace behaviours (Andersson & Pearson, 1999; Ashforth, 1994; Bennett & Robinson, 2000; Duffy, Ganster, & Pagon, 2002; Keashly, Trott, & MacLean, 1994). Tierney and Tepper (2007, p. 171) observed that although ‘the preponderance of leadership research has focused on Management and Organization Review 4:3 393–411 doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8784.2008.00118.x © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd