The impact of perceived effort–reward imbalance on workplace bullying: also a matter of organizational identification

Abstract

Work environments characterized by inadequate work conditions have been widely recognized as being particularly prone to the occurrence and exacerbation of bullying behavior. Accordingly, this longitudinal study aimed to explore whether the impact of effort-reward imbalance (ERI) on workplace bullying was mediated by a lower perception of organizational justice, and whether the association between ERI and perceptions of justice was moderated by organizational identification. In the current study, a sample of N = 195 Spanish employees from different occupational sectors filled in an online questionnaire at two different times with a time lag of 8 months. In line with the hypothesized moderated mediation model, results showed that organizational justice mediated the impact of ERI on workplace bullying. Moreover, the effect of perceived ERI on organizational justice was stronger for employees with low organizational identification. Overall, this study can contribute to better understanding how and when ERI boosts the risk of workplace bullying. Accordingly, early intervention designed to buffer the negative effects of ERI should focus on increasing individual levels of organizational identification.

Effort-Reward Imbalance: A Risk Factor for Exposure to Workplace Bullying

“…Experiences of injustice have also been reported to be a severe stressor in the workplace (Greenberg, 2006). In line with the idea that work-related stress may induce bullying and that perceptions of injustice are a central stressor, the present study aligns with Guglielmi et al (2018) to investigate whether the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) Model (Siegrist, 1996), is valuable in understanding reports of exposure to WB.…”

“…Our study aimed to advance insights into the work environment hypothesis by investigating the role of a well-established theoretical stress framework (ERI), so far only investigated once in bullying research (Guglielmi et al, 2018). Our research advanced research by employing a large sample of employees, employed in 19 organizations across different sectors.…”

Hard Enough to Manage My Emotions: How Hardiness Moderates the Relationship Between Emotional Demands and Exhaustion

“…A further implication entails the promotion of an approach that leads to experience one's job as more engaging and meaningful (i.e., job crafting strategies). As a result, workers can proactively tackle their job demands, prevent the occurrence of counterproductive work behavior and perceive higher levels of well-being (Ingusci et al, 2016;Guglielmi et al, 2017). Previous findings among nurses' managers revealed that hardiness training could boost workers' confidence in their ability to influence the course of events and to translate demanding situations into learning opportunities (Judkins et al, 2006).…”

Understanding Needs, Breaking Down Barriers: Examining Mental Health Challenges and Well-Being of Correctional Staff in Ontario, Canada

“…We must consider also the practical intervention strategies that could be implemented to tackle the main threats to correctional workers’ well-being. For example, strategies designed to enhance the perception of managerial support and organizational justice should be further developed in correctional settings, as these strategies may significantly prevent the occurrence of counterproductive work behavior associated with employees’ mental health symptoms, such as presenteeism and workplace bullying ( Guglielmi et al, 2018 ; Mazzetti et al, 2019 ). Additionally, respondents’ concerns included insufficient benefits and wages, a need to recognize mental health, and how the interacting challenges impact mental health treatment-seeking, all of which provide avenues for future research and policy development.…”