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Are Bullying Behaviors Tolerated in Some Cultures? Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Between Workplace Bullying and Job Satisfaction Among Italian Workers

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  • Gabriele Giorgi
  • Jose Leon-Perez
  • Alicia Arenas

Abstract

Since the early 1990s, increasing attention has been paid to the impact of workplace bullying on employees’ well-being and job attitudes. However, the relationship between workplace bullying and job satisfaction remains unclear. This study aims to shed light on the nature of the bullying-job satisfaction relationship in the Italian context (n = 1,393 employees from different organizations). As expected, the results revealed a U-shape curvilinear relationship between workplace bullying and job satisfaction after controlling for demographic variables. In contrast to the curvilinear model, the results support a negative linear relationship between workplace bullying and psychological well-being, in which higher exposure to negative acts at work is associated with diminished well-being. In addition, gender and job position significantly predicted mental health scores where men and managers reported a better psychological well-being than women, blue-collar, and white-collar employees. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed according to these results. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriele Giorgi & Jose Leon-Perez & Alicia Arenas, 2015. "Are Bullying Behaviors Tolerated in Some Cultures? Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Between Workplace Bullying and Job Satisfaction Among Italian Workers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 227-237, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:131:y:2015:i:1:p:227-237
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2266-9
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    4. Éva Moffat & Liliane Rioux & Fabrizio Scrima, 2023. "The Relationship between Environmental Bullying and Turnover Intention and the Mediating Effects of Secure Workplace Attachment and Environmental Satisfaction: Implications for Organizational Sustaina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-13, August.
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    10. Laura Francioli & Paul Maurice Conway & Åse Marie Hansen & Ann-Louise Holten & Matias Brødsgaard Grynderup & Roger Persson & Eva Gemzøe Mikkelsen & Giovanni Costa & Annie Høgh, 2018. "Quality of Leadership and Workplace Bullying: The Mediating Role of Social Community at Work in a Two-Year Follow-Up Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(4), pages 889-899, February.
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