Abstract:
Abusive supervision, characterised by the persistent exhibition of hostile verbal and non-verbal
conduct by supervisors while excluding physical aggression, has emerged as a salient issue
within public sector organisations. In hierarchical contexts such as the Sri Lankan public sector,
such supervisory practices may engender deviant behaviors, exemplified by cyberloafing,
which pertains to employees’ involvement in non-work-related online activities during designated
work hours. Notwithstanding the escalating apprehensions regarding productivity detriment,
the psychological mechanisms that underlie this association remain inadequately investigated.
This study examines whether a relationship exists between abusive supervision and
cyberloafing among public sector employees and whether moral disengagement acts as a moderating
variable in this relationship, grounded on Social Exchange Theory and Social Cognitive
Theory. A quantitative survey methodology was employed, encompassing a sample of
150 full-time employees from various District Secretariat Offices in Sri Lanka. A convenience
sampling technique was utilised, and data were collected through an online questionnaire that
incorporated validated measures for abusive supervision, cyberloafing, and moral disengagement,
all assessed on five-point Likert scales. Correlation, regression, and moderation analyses
were performed utilising IBM SPSS Statistics. The findings revealed a statistically significant
positive association between abusive supervision and cyberloafing (β = 0.31, p < 0.01), and
moral disengagement was found to significantly moderate this relationship (interaction term
β = 0.21, p < 0.05), suggesting that employees exhibiting elevated levels of moral disengagement
were more predisposed to engage in cyberloafing under conditions of abusive supervision.
These results contribute to the theoretical area by synthesising social exchange and social cognitive
theories to elucidate workplace deviance and underscore the practical necessity of addressing
abusive supervision through initiatives such as ethical leadership training, respectful
communication, and mechanisms for confidential reporting. Future inquiries may consider the
adoption of longitudinal research designs to investigate the enduring dynamics of these relationships
and to explore additional variables. Together, the study highlights the criticality of
leadership behavior and employees’ moral reasoning in alleviating counterproductive actions,
thereby providing invaluable insights for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in cultivating
ethical and productive environments within the public sector.
