The influence of target personality in the development of workplace bullying.

The Victim Precipitation Theory states that people may exhibit certain characteristics or behaviors that may act as vulnerability factors for either being picked as a target or for provoking others, hence contributing to escalate an underlying conflict and then increase the risk of victimization from others. In line with this, previous research indicates that certain target personality characteristics may be risk factors for exposure to workplace bullying, particularly so trait-anxiety and trait-anger. The evidence is, however, mainly cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies are needed. In addition, previous research studied exposure to bullying behaviors rather than the development of workplace bullying. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of personality in the development of workplace bullying, by looking at latent transitions across latent states of bullying exposure as a function of target trait-anxiety and target trait-anger. Data were collected in 2015-2016 among Romanian workers, at eight different measurement points over 6 months. Altogether, 300 respondents were included. Data were analyzed using a three-step latent Markov model. In the first step the statistical optimal number of latent classes or states were estimated, being "Not bullied," "Limited negative encounters," "Occasionally bullied," and "Severely bullied". In the second step, we modeled a latent class Markov model. In the third step, we added personality traits to the Markov chain and found that employees with trait-anxiety and trait-anger reported higher levels of bullying exposure at baseline, as hypothesized. Moreover, these personality traits were related to the subsequent development of bullying over time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Locus of Control Moderates the Relationship Between Exposure to Bullying Behaviors and Psychological Strain.

Workplace bullying is regarded as one of the most devastating stressors at work for those targeted, and the bullying-mental health relationship is well-documented in the literature, even under lower levels of exposure. However, less is known about when and for whom these negative behaviors have more effect. Perceived control over outcomes in life (i.e., internal locus of control) has normally been related to good health and well-being, while relying on chance and/or powerful others (i.e., external locus of control) have been related to stress and poor health. In situations with reduced individual control like bullying, however, these mechanisms may act differently. Hence, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether internal and external locus of control, respectively, moderates the bullying-mental health relationship. Data were gathered in 2014-2015 from 1474 Russian employees (44% response rate), and analyzed using Mplus and SEM modeling. Included measurement scales were the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, the General Health Questionnaire-12, and Levenson's Locus of Control scale. Although the prevalence of high intensity bullying was low, the results showed the expected positive relationship between exposure to bullying behaviors and psychological strain. Furthermore, this relationship was moderated by locus of control. In line with our expectations, internal locus of control did not have the generally assumed positive effect on strain when exposed to bullying behaviors. On the other hand, external locus of control seems relatively beneficial when facing bullying behaviors. The results of this study thus support that exposure to bullying and its associated behaviors are unique stressors where personal characteristics seem to play a different role than normally expected when facing other kinds of stressors.

Dispositional Affect as a Moderator in the Relationship Between Role Conflict and Exposure to Bullying Behaviors.

Stressors in the work environment and individual dispositions among targets have been established separately as antecedents and risk factors of workplace bullying. However, few studies have examined these stressors in conjunction in order to determine personal dispositions among targets as possible moderators in the work stressor-bullying relationship. The aim of the present study was to examine multiple types of dispositional affect among targets as potential moderators in the relationship between role conflict and exposure to bullying behaviors, employing two independent cross-sectional samples. The first sample comprised 462 employees from a Norwegian sea transport organization, where trait anger and trait anxiety were included moderators. The second sample was a nationwide probability sample of the Norwegian working population and comprised 1,608 employees randomly drawn from The Norwegian Central Employee Register, where positive and negative affect were included moderators. The results showed that trait anger, trait anxiety, and negative affect strengthened the positive relationship between role conflict and reports of bullying behaviors. Positive affect did not moderate this relationship. We conclude that the association between role conflict and bullying is particularly strong for those scoring high on trait anger, trait anxiety, and negative affect.

Aggression from Patients or Next of Kin and Exposure to Bullying Behaviors: A Conglomerate Experience?

Although workplace violence and aggression have been identified as important stressors in the nursing profession, studies simultaneously comparing patient-initiated aggression and exposure to bullying behaviors at work are rather scarce. The aim of this study was to compare aggression from patients or next of kin and exposure to bullying behaviors in terms of prevalence, health-related quality of life outcomes, and potential overlap in those targeted. In the period of 2008-2009, data were collected among 2059 members of the Norwegian Nurses Organization. Latent class (LC) analysis and a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to investigate the proposed relationships. The results showed that aggression from patients or next of kin and exposure to bullying behaviors were perceived as separate and independent stressors. Although aggression from patients or next of kin was more frequent than workplace bullying, the latter was the only significant stressor related to health-related quality of life in terms of reduced mental health functioning. Although being a rather infrequent experience, exposure to bullying behaviors seems to have more severe health-related outcomes for nurses than aggression from patients or next of kin. Hence, the results of the study strengthen previous findings and suggest that managers must aim to maintain a positive psychosocial work environment with zero-tolerance for bullying.

Exposure to bullying behaviors at work and subsequent symptoms of anxiety: the moderating role of individual coping style.

The aim of the present study was to investigate if bullied nurses have a more negative coping style when facing stressful events than do non-bullied nurses, and to determine if coping style moderates the well-established bullying-anxiety relationship. Cohort data were gathered in 2008/2009 and 2010 with a time lag of approximately one year for all respondents. At T1 2059 Norwegian nurses participated, whereof 1582 also responded at T2. A t-test and a hierarchical regression analysis were conducted to obtain results for the hypothesized relationships. The results show that bullied nurses use an active goal-oriented coping style less often compared to non-bullied nurses. Furthermore, active goal-oriented coping seems beneficial only when exposure to bullying behaviors is very low. This effect diminishes however as the bullying behavior intensifies. Hence, victims of bullying seem to cope more negatively with stressful events than do others. On the other hand, high exposure to bullying behaviors has negative consequences for the subsequent level of anxiety for those affected, regardless of their general coping style.

Predictive Value of the SF-12 for Sickness Absence Because of Mental, Musculoskeletal, and Other Somatic Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of the 12-item short form (SF-12) for long-term sickness absence (LTSA) because of mental, musculoskeletal, and other somatic disorders. METHODS: In this cohort study with 2-year follow-up of 1381 nurses, baseline SF-12 scores were analyzed against registered mental, musculoskeletal, and other somatic LTSA during follow-up by logistic regression models. RESULTS: The SF-12 dimensions, general health, vitality, emotional role limitations, mental health, and social functioning, predicted mental LTSA. Physical functioning, bodily pain, and vitality predicted musculoskeletal LTSA, and physical role limitations, bodily pain, general health, and social functioning predicted other somatic LTSA. Positive predictive values were low, and negative predictive values were high. CONCLUSIONS: Different SF-12 dimensions predicted mental, musculoskeletal, and other somatic LTSA but did not identify nurses at high risk of mental, musculoskeletal, and other somatic LTSA.

The prospective relationship between role stressors and new cases of self-reported workplace bullying.

In line with the "Work environment hypothesis," role stressors have been proposed as important antecedents of bullying in the workplace. Only a few longitudinal studies on the relationship between role stressors and bullying exist, however, and earlier studies have largely been cross-sectional. The aim of the present prospective study was to determine whether role stressors at baseline predict new cases of workplace bullying at follow-up. A total of 2,835 Norwegian employees participated at both baseline and follow-up, with an interval of two years between the measurements. The study supports the hypotheses that role ambiguity and role conflict, independently, contribute to subsequent new reports of workplace bullying. However, there was a weak reverse effect: reporting being bullied at work at baseline predicted reporting increased levels of role ambiguity and role conflict at follow-up. Even though the results may indicate a circular relationship between the variables at hand, the weak reverse relationship seems to have little practical impact compared to the stronger relationship from role stressors to bullying. Hence, the results mainly support the hypotheses stating that role ambiguity and role conflict, independently, predict subsequent exposure to workplace bullying.

Exposure to bullying behaviors as a predictor of mental health problems among Norwegian nurses: results from the prospective SUSSH-survey.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between workplace bullying and mental health problems are well documented in previous cross-sectional studies, but knowledge on how this relationship develops over time is still scarce. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the prospective relationship between exposure to bullying behaviors at baseline, and increased symptoms of mental health problems (anxiety, depression, fatigue) one year later. Furthermore, the reverse relationship was investigated. DESIGN: This is a prospective longitudinal study, where members of the Norwegian Nurses Organization answered identical questions regarding workplace bullying and mental health problems, at baseline (2008-2009) and follow-up (2010). PARTICIPANTS: Altogether, 1582 nurses completed both questionnaires. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that exposure to bullying behaviors at baseline predicted subsequent increased symptoms of anxiety and fatigue, after adjusting for baseline symptoms of anxiety and fatigue respectively, age, gender, night work and job demands. Moreover, symptoms of anxiety, depression and fatigue at baseline predicted increased exposure to bullying behaviors one year later, after adjusting for exposure to bullying behaviors at baseline, age, gender, night work and job demands. CONCLUSION: In this study we find support for a reciprocal relationship between exposure to bullying behaviors and symptoms of anxiety and fatigue, respectively. Thus, the results may indicate a vicious circle where workplace bullying and mental health problems mutually affect each other negatively.