Abstract: The individual difference of the followers may reduce the negative influence resulted from abusive supervision. Through the method of paired samples, this paper collects the data of 226 pairs of followers from 3 enterprises to explore the function of the belief in a just world (BJW) and the hostility in the relationship between the abusive supervision and the workplace deviance of the followers. The results suggest that BJW is helpful to moderate the influence of abusive supervision on workplace deviance of the followers, the strength of the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance is more prominent among the groups with lower BJW. Hostility can play a role of partial intermediation between abusive supervision and workplace deviance. Furthermore, the results of an intermediary-adjusting integrated analysis indicate that BJW can adjust the intermediary function of hostility between abusive supervision and workplace deviance of the followers. In addition, on the basis of the research results, it provides relevant suggestions for enterprises to prevent and reduce the negative effects of the abusive supervision.

Key words: belief in a just world; abusive supervision; workplace deviance