TY - JOUR
T1 - A role that takes its toll?
T2 - The moderating role of leadership in role stress and exposure to workplace bullying
AU - Stapinski, Piotr
AU - Bjørkelo, Brita
AU - D’Cruz, Premilla
AU - Mikkelsen, Eva Gemzøe
AU - Gamian-Wilk, Malgorzata
PY - 2023/11
Y1 - 2023/11
N2 - Purpose: According to the work environment hypothesis, and as documented by empirical evidence, organizational factors play a crucial role in the development of workplace bullying. However, to better understand and prevent bullying at work and establish sustainable, responsible and ethical workplaces, it is crucial to understand which organizational factors are particularly important in the development of bullying and how these factors independently and combined act as precursors of bullying over time. One prominent theory that explains how organizational and individual factors interact is the Affective Events Theory (AET). Design: In a two-wave, time-lagged study (N = 364), we apply AET to test and explain the interplay of organizational factors in the development of bullying at work. Findings: The results revealed that supportive and fair leadership moderates the relationship between role stress and exposure to workplace bullying. Originality: Although previous studies have shown the general protecting effects of supportive leadership on exposure to bullying, the current study indicates that high level of supportive and fair leadership practices decrease the level of exposure to bullying, even when role ambiguity and role conflict are relatively high.Practical implications: Knowledge of the buffering role of supportive and fair leadership practices is important when implementing organizational interventions aimed at preventing bullying at work.
AB - Purpose: According to the work environment hypothesis, and as documented by empirical evidence, organizational factors play a crucial role in the development of workplace bullying. However, to better understand and prevent bullying at work and establish sustainable, responsible and ethical workplaces, it is crucial to understand which organizational factors are particularly important in the development of bullying and how these factors independently and combined act as precursors of bullying over time. One prominent theory that explains how organizational and individual factors interact is the Affective Events Theory (AET). Design: In a two-wave, time-lagged study (N = 364), we apply AET to test and explain the interplay of organizational factors in the development of bullying at work. Findings: The results revealed that supportive and fair leadership moderates the relationship between role stress and exposure to workplace bullying. Originality: Although previous studies have shown the general protecting effects of supportive leadership on exposure to bullying, the current study indicates that high level of supportive and fair leadership practices decrease the level of exposure to bullying, even when role ambiguity and role conflict are relatively high.Practical implications: Knowledge of the buffering role of supportive and fair leadership practices is important when implementing organizational interventions aimed at preventing bullying at work.
KW - Workplace bullying
KW - role stress
KW - role conflict
KW - Role ambiguity
KW - work environment hypothesis
KW - leadership
KW - supportive leadeship
KW - workplace bullying
KW - role stress
KW - role ambiguity
KW - role conflict
KW - leadership practices
KW - supportive leadership
KW - fair leadership
KW - work environment hypothesis
KW - Affective events theory
KW - Fair leadership
KW - Supportive leadership
KW - Leadership practices
KW - Work environment hypothesis
KW - Role conflict
KW - Role stress
KW - Role ambiguity
KW - Workplace bullying
U2 - 10.1108/IJCMA-03-2023-0047
DO - 10.1108/IJCMA-03-2023-0047
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1044-4068
VL - 34
SP - 1041
EP - 1058
JO - International Journal of Conflict Management
JF - International Journal of Conflict Management
IS - 5
ER -