High-involvement work practices and conflict management procedures as moderators of the workplace bullying–wellbeing relationship

Workplace ostracism and team members' creativity: The mediating role of self-reflection and moderating role of high-involvement work practices

Drawing on social cognitive theory, this paper examines whether self-reflection mediates the association between workplace ostracism and team members' creativity, and whether this mediating effect is moderated by high-involvement work practices (HIWPs). We construct and test a cross-level model using multilevel path analysis to analyse data collected from 81 teams (a total of 393 members) in China. The results show that workplace ostracism negatively influences team members' reflection but positively influences rumination, which in turn affects individual creativity. Furthermore, HIWPs negatively moderate the effects of workplace ostracism on self-reflection, and moderate the linkages among workplace ostracism, reflection/rumination and team members' creativity. Finally, theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Workplace bullying and tiredness at work: A cross-lagged prospective study of causal directions and the moderating effects of a conflict management climate

OBJECTIVES

To prospectively investigate the reciprocal associations between tiredness at work (TAW) and exposure to bullying behaviors and to determine the role of conflict management climate (CMC) as a moderator of these associations.

METHODS

A two-wave national probability sample of employees in Sweden (18 months between waves, 921 participated at both waves) measuring TAW, workplace bullying, and CMC. Structural equation modelling was used to test four hypotheses about the longitudinal associations between feeling tired at work and bullying, and CMC as a moderator for the two directions.

RESULTS

In the analyses of cross-lagged effects, tiredness was significantly associated with an increase in subsequent bullying (β = 0.08, P = .01). Exposure to bullying was not associated with changes in tiredness. CMC moderated the association between tiredness and subsequent bullying (β = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.19, -0.08]), showing an increased risk of exposure to bullying behaviors following tiredness when CMC was low and decreased risk when CMC was high.

CONCLUSIONS

TAW is a risk factor for subsequent bullying. Finding ways to help employees to reduce tiredness not only will help them perform better at work but also reduce the risk of them becoming targets of bullying. A strong CMC can act as a buffer if a tired person provoke aggression from co-workers.

Bullying behavior and employee well-being: how do different forms of social support buffer against depression, anxiety and exhaustion?

PURPOSE

Workplace bullying has severe negative consequences for the well-being of targeted employees. Previous research suggests that social support may buffer against such adverse effects. However, it remains unclear if different forms of support have equally strong effects and if support buffers equally effectively against different outcomes. Further, little is known about social support as a mitigating factor in remote occupational groups such as seafarers. This study examines the buffering effects of four forms of support (instrumental and emotional peer support, company support, non-work support) on three aspects of employee well-being (depression, anxiety, and exhaustion) among seafarers.

METHODS

Responses to a cross-sectional online survey from a convenience sample of 414 seafarers on international commercial vessels were analyzed using moderated regression analyses with PROCESS.

RESULTS

Exposure to workplace bullying behavior increased seafarers' depression, anxiety and exhaustion. Instrumental peer support and non-work support buffered the negative impact of bullying on depression. The impact of bullying on exhaustion was buffered by company support. The impact of bullying on anxiety was not buffered by any of the four forms of support.

CONCLUSION

Extending previous research, the findings suggest that the interaction between workplace bullying and support depends not only on the source of support, but also on the type of support and the outcome considered. While support from colleagues on board was important for seafarers, company and non-work support must not be overlooked. Interventions should, therefore, encourage the development of peer support and ensure access to shore-based support for workers in remote locations.

High involvement work practices often lead to burnout, but thanks to humble leadership

Purpose

Based on the conservation of resources theory, this study aims to investigate high involvement work practices (HIWP) as an antecedent to burnout with a mediating role of perceived work–family (WF) imbalance. Moreover, this study examines whether humble leadership moderates the relationship between HIWP and WF imbalance.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a time-lagged survey approach, data are collected from 200 employees working in the Indian services sector organizations.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that HIWP has a direct negative effect on burnout and an indirect effect via WF imbalance. Also, humble leadership moderates the relationship between HIWP and WF imbalance.

Originality/value

By studying the pessimistic view of HIWP in the Indian context, this study contributes to the scant studies available on its effect on burnout in collectivistic societies. Furthermore, humble leadership's moderating role in the relationship between HIWP and WF imbalance is unique to this study.