Abusive supervision is a real workplace menace, and in recent times it has been identified as the major reason for the attrition of employees. Abusive supervision may not be completely eradicated; however, organisations will do well if they take appropriate and timely measures to identify and address this issue. This study explores the role of various coping strategies in explaining the relationship between abusive supervision and burnout. It investigates the positive relationship between abusive supervision and employee burnout. It explores the mediating role of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies in explaining the relationship between abusive supervision and burnout. In addition, the article studies the influence of individual power distance orientation on employees’ psychological distress, such as burnout, at both high and low levels of power distance. To test the hypotheses proposed, cross-sectional survey data were collected from Indian employees working in different organisations across various industries. Data from the final sample of 294 respondents were analysed using Smart PLS, and our findings are reported. The results confirm that abusive supervision is positively related to burnout. Furthermore, while only avoidance of contact and social support significantly mediated the effect of abusive supervision on burnout, the multi-group analysis revealed no significant difference in terms of low and high individual power distance orientation. This study highlights the need for specific policies and procedures to identify and deal with abusive supervision. Organisations should have a strict “zero-tolerance policy” towards abusive supervisory behaviour, clearly mentioned in employee handbooks and communicated through internal communication channels. A transparent and open culture with specific grievance-handling mechanisms should be put in place by organisations. In the future, researchers can extend this study by exploring personality factors in abusive supervision and various ways to eradicate this workplace menace.
