Kicking someone in cyberspace when they are down: Testing the role of stressor evoked emotions on exposure to workplace cyberbullying.

Ivana Vranjes*, Elfi Baillien, Heidi Vandebosch, Sara Erreygers, Hans De Witte

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

New technologies at work broaden the scope of bullying behaviours to the online context, creating opportunities for a new form of bullying to arise - workplace cyberbullying. So far, knowledge on the factors contributing to workplace cyberbullying has been lacking. Within this emerging research line, the Emotion Reaction model, specifically focused on workplace cyberbullying, was put forward. In this study, we test the model’s main proposition regarding exposure to workplace cyberbullying; namely, that stressors evoked emotions predict exposure to cyberbullying and that this relation is moderated by emotion regulation strategies. The model was tested in two steps. First, the model as a whole was tested cross-sectionally. Next, the direction of causality between fear and sadness and exposure to cyberbullying was tested using a cross-lagged panel design. The results provide support for the central role of fear and sadness in the relationship between work stressors and cyberbullying exposure and the moderating role of reappraisal. No moderating effect of suppression was observed. In addition, support is found for the causal claim that fear and sadness predict cyberbullying exposure. The results and their implications are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
Peer-reviewed scientific journalWork & Stress
Volume32
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)379-399
Number of pages21
ISSN0267-8373
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.10.2018
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article - refereed

Keywords

  • 512 Business and Management
  • workplace cyberbullying
  • emotions
  • workplace bullying
  • victimisation

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