Date of Award
8-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Management
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Craig Wallace
Committee Member
Dr. Kristin Scott
Committee Member
Dr. Ron Landis
Committee Member
Dr. Amy Ingram
Abstract
The term ‘gaslight’ has infiltrated popular media, with articles, TV shows, and podcasts dedicated to identifying gaslighting behaviors and mitigating its effects. Despite the term’s popularity, much of the existing literature solely focuses on gaslighting in intimate partner relationships, medical settings, and political campaigns. As a result, little is known about how it operates in the workplace context and whether it is distinct from other well-established workplace mistreatment constructs. In this dissertation, I explored the mechanisms of supervisor gaslighting by developing a scale and testing its distinctiveness from other workplace mistreatment and positive workplace behaviors. While two scales were recently published to measure workplace gaslighting behaviors, I identified several conceptual and methodological concerns that warrant further development of a workplace gaslighting measure.
Following the recommended steps for developing new measures outlined by Hinkin (1998), I conducted research to validate a scale measuring supervisor gaslighting and to explore its nomological network with three workplace mistreatment behaviors (manipulation, workplace incivility, and supervisor undermining) and two positive workplace behaviors (relational transparency and work self-compassion). The first step was to create items derived from a theoretically grounded definition of supervisor gaslighting with four associated dimensions (Questioning Competence, Controlling Behaviors, Questioning Perceptions, and Prompting Self-Doubt), which were then subjected to content validity testing to confirm their alignment with the definition. Then, I conducted two studies with a total of 467 U.S. full-time employees working under a supervisor, to further refine the scale and establish the nomological network of supervisor gaslighting.
This dissertation makes several theoretical contributions. First, I developed a valid 14-item supervisor gaslighting scale that offers methodological advances over previous measures. Second, I extended the nomological network of supervisor gaslighting by demonstrating that the direct effects of supervisor gaslighting on workplace mistreatment behaviors (manipulation, workplace incivility, and supervisor undermining) and positive workplace behaviors (relational transparency and work self-compassion) are significant. Third, the indirect effect of supervisor gaslighting on job performance was significant when mediated by positive workplace behaviors, suggesting that relational transparency and work self-compassion buffer the negative effects of supervisor gaslighting. Fourth, and perhaps most significantly, I discovered that the direct effect of supervisor gaslighting on job performance was nonsignificant, suggesting multicollinearity among the supervisor mistreatment variables.
These findings challenge the current view of workplace mistreatment behaviors as separate phenomena and suggest a superordinate category of supervisor mistreatment. A post hoc analysis supports this notion, as the four mistreatment variables (supervisor gaslighting, manipulation, workplace incivility, and supervisor undermining) load strongly onto a single higher-order factor. Practical implications, including supervisor gaslighting intervention strategies for prevention, detection, and rehabilitation, are also discussed.
Recommended Citation
Peschiera, Gabriela, "Toward a Conceptual and Methodological Understanding of Supervisor Gaslighting in the Workplace" (2026). All Dissertations. 4359.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4359