Part of being an ethical workplace is fair and considerate treatment of employees by supervisors and managers. Despite this obvious truth, an unknown number of managers engage in a dark side of leadership. Known as abusive supervision, this is a dysfunctional leadership behavior that adversely affects its targets and the organization as a whole. Abusive supervision can take the form of hostile behaviors such as angry tantrums, public criticisms, and inappropriately assigned blame.

Minimizing abusive supervision throughout the organization would include a variety of top-level leadership actions such as frequent communication about the topic, and coaching managers known to be abusive. Listening carefully to employee complaints about being abused would also be helpful. In attempting to minimize abusive supervision, it is important for organizational leadership to recognize that what constitutes abuse partially depends on employee perceptions.

One factor influencing perceptions of abuse is psychological entitlement. Such entitlement refers to a stable and overall tendency toward favorable self-perceptions and expectations of rewards even when there is little justification for such beliefs. The psychologically entitled employee is also reluctant to accept criticisms that conflicts with self-views and a tendency toward high expectations concerning rewards and praise.

Studies showed that psychologically entitled employees are more likely to feel that they are victims of abuse. These employees will often retaliate against their supervisor by undermining him or her, and the organization. Undermining the organization would include purposely making errors at work and being rude toward customers.