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What goes around comes around: How perpetrators of workplace bullying become targets themselves
Vranjes,Ivana Vander Elst,Tinne Griep,Yannick Witte,Hans De Baillien,Elfi
Vranjes,Ivana
Vander Elst,Tinne
Griep,Yannick
Witte,Hans De
Baillien,Elfi
Abstract
In this study, we investigated whether and how perpetrators of bullying become targets themselves. Building on the notion of bullying as an escalation process and the Conservation of Resources Theory, we hypothesized that following enactment of bullying, people would experience increased relationship conflicts with colleagues, diminishing their sense of control and making them more likely to become exposed to bullying themselves. We tested this idea using longitudinal sequential mediated Structural Equation Modelling in a sample of 1420 Belgian workers. Our results confirmed that enactment of bullying lead to more exposure to bullying 18 months later. Relationship conflicts partially mediated this effect, meaning that bullying enactment can lead to increased tensions with others at work, increasing one’s vulnerability to bullying exposure. Although perceived control also mediated the enactment-exposure relationship, relationship conflicts did not lead to perceived loss of control, suggesting a missing link in this relationship. Furthermore, the effect from perceived control to exposure to bullying was small and did not replicate in post-hoc analyses. Our findings suggest that people may experience a backlash from others in their work environment following engagement in bullying behavior at work and invite further exploration of the processes that may account for this relationship.
Description
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article
Date
2023-08
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
AGGRESSION, CONFLICT, CONSERVATION, DEMAND, INCIVILITY, JOB INSECURITY, MODEL, ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH, RESOURCES, RESPONSES, longitudinal, outcomes, perpetrator, workplace aggression, workplace bullying, SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Citation
Vranjes, I, Vander Elst, T, Griep, Y, Witte, H D & Baillien, E 2023, 'What goes around comes around : How perpetrators of workplace bullying become targets themselves', Group & Organization Management, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 1135-1172. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221143263
License
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess