Zooming in on the workplace bullying and turnover intentions pathway: The role of well-being and a cultural boundary condition
ISSN: 0048-3486
Article publication date: 30 October 2019
Issue publication date: 6 February 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the well-established association between workplace bullying and turnover intentions, the mechanisms underlying this relationship and its boundary conditions remain understudied. The purpose of this paper is to examine employee affective well-being as a mediating mechanism by which exposure to workplace bullying may trigger employee intentions to leave the workplace. It also aims to explore the role of national culture in moderating the effects of workplace bullying on employee well-being and turnover intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is conducted through a cross-cultural analysis of data obtained from 627 Australian and Pakistani employees.
Findings
The findings reveal that exposure to workplace bullying triggers turnover intentions through its negative effect on affective well-being in cross-cultural/national contexts. However, national culture moderates these effects such that the effects of workplace bullying on well-being and turnover intentions are weaker for Pakistanis than for Australians.
Originality/value
This paper reports original research that deepens the understanding of how, why and when exposure to workplace bullying will prompt employees to leave the workplace in a cross-national context. The research findings will assist international organisations in designing strategies tailored to the national culture in order to mitigate the adverse effects of workplace bullying on staff turnover.
Keywords
Citation
Ahmad, S. and Kaleem, A. (2020), "Zooming in on the workplace bullying and turnover intentions pathway: The role of well-being and a cultural boundary condition", Personnel Review, Vol. 49 No. 2, pp. 425-444. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-06-2018-0214
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited