The Mediating Role of Forgiveness in the Effect of Organizational Gossip on Organizational Revenge

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between organizational gossip perceptions and revenge intentions of employees working in the health sector and to determine the mediating role of forgiveness in this relationship. In addition, it was investigated whether the variables of organizational gossip, revenge and forgiveness differed significantly according to demographic characteristics. The study was structured according to the quantitative research design, and the data were collected through a questionnaire. Within the scope of the research, the data obtained from 385 health workers working in a public hospital in Kayseri province were analyzed. The findings show that work-related/non-work-related gossip has a positive and significant effect on revenge intention. In particular, non-work-related gossip has been found to have a stronger effect. The "forgiveness of others" dimension of forgiveness had a negative and significant effect on the intention of revenge; it has been determined that it plays an intermediary role in the relationship between gossip and revenge. The research also revealed that as the level of education and seniority increased, the tendency to forgive increased, and the intention to get revenge decreased. It is also a noteworthy finding that the tendency to get revenge is lower in female employees. The study examines the relationships between these concepts in the context of the health sector with a holistic approach by considering the variables of organizational gossip, forgiveness, and revenge together, and makes original contributions to the literature.