Supervisor negative gossip and employees’ thriving at work

Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, we examine (a) how supervisor negative gossip affects frontline employees’ thriving at the workplace through positive affect and job self-efficacy and (b) how perceived organizational support (POS) mitigates the adverse effects of supervisor negative gossip on employees. Using a sample of 219 frontline employees from three companies in China, we found that supervisor negative gossip is indirectly and negatively associated with employees’ thriving through reduced employees’ positive affect and job self-efficacy, and that the conditional indirect effect of supervisor negative gossip is stronger in employees who perceive lower levels of organizational support. Our findings extend the literature on the dysfunctional consequences of supervisor negative gossip and highlight the need for leaders to become aware of the impact of negative workplace gossip on employees.