Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Feb 19;19(4):2399. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042399.
Despite the fact that workaholism and workplace aggressive behavior share many correlates, such as neuroticism, hostility, and negative affectivity, little is known about their relationship, with most evidence on both phenomena coming from cross-sectional studies. In the present study, we contributed to a better understanding of the antecedents of enacted workplace bullying behavior (i.e., perpetration of bullying), and the potential interpersonal implications of workaholism, by investigating their cross-lagged relationship. Data from a two-wave one-year panel study conducted with 235 employees in a national healthcare service organization showed substantial cross-sectional and cross-lagged positive relationships between workaholism and enacted workplace bullying. Whereas Time 1 workaholism was a significant predictor of Time 2 enacted workplace bullying, reversed causation was not supported. To shed light on the role of a potential mechanism explaining the link between workaholism and enactment of bullying, we examined whether job-related negative affect (e.g., anger) mediated their longitudinal relationship. However, whereas increased negative affect from T1 to T2 was positively associated with T2 enacted workplace bullying, the relationship between T1 workaholism and increased job-related negative affect was not significant, contrary to the hypothesized mediation. Taken together, our findings suggest that workaholism may be an important antecedent of enacted workplace bullying. Study limitations and future perspectives are discussed.
尽管工作狂和工作场所攻击行为有许多共同的相关因素，如神经质、敌意和消极情感，但它们之间的关系知之甚少，大多数关于这两种现象的证据都来自横断面研究。在本研究中，我们通过调查它们的交叉滞后关系，为更好地理解实施工作场所欺凌行为（即欺凌行为的实施）的前因和工作狂的潜在人际影响做出了贡献。这项研究的数据来自于一项为期一年的两波面板研究，共有 235 名国家医疗服务机构的员工参与。研究结果表明，工作狂和实施工作场所欺凌之间存在实质性的横断面和交叉滞后正相关关系。虽然第一时间的工作狂是第二时间实施工作场所欺凌的显著预测因素，但反向因果关系不支持。为了阐明解释工作狂和欺凌实施之间联系的潜在机制的作用，我们检验了工作相关的负面情绪（例如愤怒）是否在它们的纵向关系中起中介作用。然而，从 T1 到 T2 的增加的负面情绪与 T2 实施的工作场所欺凌呈正相关，而 T1 工作狂和增加的工作相关负面情绪之间的关系并不显著，与假设的中介作用相反。综上所述，我们的研究结果表明，工作狂可能是实施工作场所欺凌的一个重要前因。研究局限性和未来展望也进行了讨论。
