Article: Impact of abusive supervision and job insecurity on deviant workplace behaviour: mediating role of burnout in the telecom sector of Pakistan Journal: Middle East Journal of Management (MEJM) 2025 Vol.12 No.5 pp.533 - 552 Abstract: Increased workplace deviant behaviour and employee burnout have become major concerns in today's business climate, bringing real costs and serious dangers to organisational performance and efficiency. This study aims to investigate the factors that lead to these harmful behaviours, with a specific focus on the influence of abusive supervision and job insecurity. It is hypothesised that both abusive supervision and job insecurity are positively correlated with workplace deviant behaviour. In addition, the study examines how burnout acts as a mediator in the relationship between these factors and deviant behaviour in the workplace. A total of 213 people working in the Telecom sector of Pakistan were surveyed, and the collected information was analysed using process macros in SPSS. The results showed that both abusive supervision and job uncertainty have a large and favourable impact on both workplace behaviour and burnout. Moreover, it has been found that burnout acts as a mediator in the connection between abusive supervision, job insecurity, and workplace deviant behaviour. The study concludes by analysing the consequences and providing suggestions for more research. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Impact of abusive supervision and job insecurity on deviant workplace behaviour: mediating role of burnout in the telecom sector of Pakistan

Authors: Ghulam Dastgeer; Zeeshan Anwar; Sidra Akhtar

Addresses: Department of Management and IS, College of Business Administration, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia ' Air University School of Management, Islamabad, Pakistan ' University Institute of Management Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Abstract: Increased workplace deviant behaviour and employee burnout have become major concerns in today's business climate, bringing real costs and serious dangers to organisational performance and efficiency. This study aims to investigate the factors that lead to these harmful behaviours, with a specific focus on the influence of abusive supervision and job insecurity. It is hypothesised that both abusive supervision and job insecurity are positively correlated with workplace deviant behaviour. In addition, the study examines how burnout acts as a mediator in the relationship between these factors and deviant behaviour in the workplace. A total of 213 people working in the Telecom sector of Pakistan were surveyed, and the collected information was analysed using process macros in SPSS. The results showed that both abusive supervision and job uncertainty have a large and favourable impact on both workplace behaviour and burnout. Moreover, it has been found that burnout acts as a mediator in the connection between abusive supervision, job insecurity, and workplace deviant behaviour. The study concludes by analysing the consequences and providing suggestions for more research.

Keywords: abusive supervision; deviant workplace behaviour; burnout; job insecurity; process macro; Pakistan.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2025.148766

Middle East Journal of Management, 2025 Vol.12 No.5, pp.533 - 552

Received: 26 Feb 2024
Accepted: 08 Jul 2024
Published online: 23 Sep 2025 *

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Title: Impact of abusive supervision and job insecurity on deviant workplace behaviour: mediating role of burnout in the telecom sector of Pakistan

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