Are there any high profile examples of an abusive supervisor whose behavior is tolerated?
Courtright: In our research, we found Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, is a good case in point. Jobs is nearly universally praised for his leadership of Apple and for fostering a culture of innovation that few companies can match while making lots of money for lots of people. Yet, Jobs is also regarded as one of Corporate America’s biggest tyrants, known for throwing temper tantrums and dressing down employees in humiliating fashion. But he’s clearly productive, and as long as Apple stays on the cutting edge and keeps making a profit, people will tolerate his behavior. This doesn’t mean that people necessarily like those supervisors as people, though. Shaffer: That’s right. The research found that even high performing abusive supervisors are held in low esteem from a personal perspective. People are willing to put up with an abusive supervisor who’s productive, but they don’t necessarily want to be friends with them. Our study also suggests that people who are more empathetic are less lik
