How deep was the cyberbullying episode? The mediating effect of social vulnerability between perceived cyberbullying severity and employee’s behavioral outcomes at workplace: the moderating role of self-regulation
Abstract
The widespread access to modern technology devices have provided an alternative medium for bullies to target their victims. The present study tends to look upon this less attended subject of cyberbullying in the workplace. The joint impact of the mediating role of (a) social vulnerability between the perceived cyberbullying severity with employees’ behavioral outcomes, and moderating role of (b) self-regulation in influencing the relationship between social vulnerability and behavioral outcomes. Using a field sample of 387 employees working in different organizations. Results were consistent with the hypothesized model, in that social vulnerability mediated the relationship of perceived cyberbullying severity with employee’s silence and social withdrawal. However, self-regulation did not moderate the relationship between the links. The results further revealed that perceived cyberbullying severity has a negative indirect effect on employee’s social withdrawal. This research offers suggest a need for supervisory training as well as clear corporate policies regarding workplace cyber securities.
References
• Antonucci, T. C., Ajrouch, K. J., & Manalel, J. A. (2017). Social Relations and Technology: Continuity, Context, and Change. Innovation in aging, 1(3).
• Arntfield, M. (2015). Towards a cyber-victimology: Cyberbullying, routine activities theory, and the anti-sociality of social media. Canadian Journal of Communication, 40(3).
• Barlett, C. P., & Gentile, D. A. (2012). Attacking others online: The formation of cyberbullying in late adolescence. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1(2), 123.
• Barlinska, J., A. Szuster, and M. Winiewski. (2013). “Cyberbullying among Adolescent Bystanders: Role of the Communication Medium, Form of Violence, and Empathy.” Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology 23 (1): 37–51.
• Bonanno, R.A, Hymel, S. (2013) Cyber bullying and internalizing difficulties: above and beyond the impact of traditional forms of bullying, J. Youth Adolescent. 42 685–697.
• Camacho, S., Hassanein, K., & Head, M. (2018). Cyberbullying impacts on victims’ satisfaction with information and communication technologies: The role of Perceived Cyberbullying Severity. Information & Management, 55(4), 494-507.
• Charisse L Nixon. (2014). Current perspectives: the impact of cyberbullying on adolescent health. Adolescent health, medicine and therapeutics, 5, 143-58.
• DeSmet, A., Rodelli, M., Walrave, M., Soenens, B., Cardon, G., & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2018). Cyberbullying and traditional bullying involvement among heterosexual and non-heterosexual adolescents, and their associations with age and gender. Computers in Human Behavior, 83, 254-261.
• Dredge, Rebecca & Gleeson, J & de la Piedad Garcia, X. (2013). Progress and limitations in the measurement of cyber bullying. From Cyber Bullying to Cyber Safety: Issues and Approaches in Educational Contexts. 271-288.
• Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2008). Cyberbullying: An exploratory analysis of factors related to offending and victimisation. Deviant Behavior, 29, 129–156
• Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010). Bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 14, 206–221.
• Knoll, Michael & Dick, Rolf. (2013). Authenticity, employee silence, prohibitive voice, and the moderating effect of organizational identification. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 8. 346-360.
• Kowalski R.M., Giumetti G.W., Schroeder A.N., Lattanner M.R., (2014). Bullying in the digital age: a critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth, Psychol. Bull. 1–65
• Lee, A. R., Son, S. M., & Kim, K. K. (2016). Information and communication technology overload and social networking service fatigue: A stress perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 51-61.
• Li, Q. (2006). Cyberbullying in schools: A research of gender differences. School Psychology International, 2
• Lim, V. K. G., & Teo, T. S. H. (2009). Mind your E-manners: Impact of cyber incivility on employees’ work attitude and behavior. Information & Management, 46, 419–425.
• Menesini, E., Nocentini, A., & Camodeca, M. (2013). Morality, values, traditional bullying, and cyberbullying in adolescence. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 31, 1–14. Advance online publication.
• Morrison, E., & Milliken, F. (2000). Organizational Silence: A Barrier to Change and Development in a Pluralistic World. The Academy of Management Review, 25(4), 706-725.
• Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario & Elipe, Paz & Mora-Merchan, Joaquin & Luisa Genta, M & Brighi, Antonella & Guarini, Annalisa & Smith, Peter & Thompson, Fran & Tippett, Neil. (2012). The Emotional Impact of Bullying and Cyberbullying on Victims: A European Cross-National Study. Aggressive behavior. 38, 342–356.
• Perren, S., & Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, E. (2012). Cyberbullying and traditional bullying in adolescence: Differential roles of moral disengagement, moral emotions, and moral values. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9(2), 195-209.
• Pontzer, D. (2010). A theoretical test of bullying behavior: Parenting, personality, and the bully/victim relationship. Journal of Family Violence, 25, 259–273.
• Power, J. L., Brotheridge, C. M., Blenkinsopp, J., Bowes-Sperry, L., Bozionelos, N., Buzády, Z., Nnedumm, A. (2013). Acceptability of workplace bullying: A comparative study on six continents. Journal of Business Research, 66, 374–380.
• Privitera, C., & Campbell, M. A. (2009). Cyberbullying: The new face of workplace bullying? CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12, 395–400.
• Skrzypiec, G., Slee, P., Murray-Harvey, R., & Pereira, B. (2011). School bullying by one or more ways: Does it matter and how do students cope? School Psychology International, 32, 288–311
• Slonje, R., Smith, P. K., & Frisén, A. (2013). The nature of cyberbullying, and strategies for prevention. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 26–32.
• Solberg, M.E., and D. Olweus. 2003. Prevalence estimation of school bullying with the OlweusBully/Victim Questionnaire. Aggressive Behavior 29: 239–68.
• Spears, B.A., P. Slee, L. Owens, and B. Johnson. (2009). Behind the scenes and screens: Insights into the human dimension of covert and cyberbullying. Zeitschrift für Psychologie/Journal of Psychology 217: 189–96.
• Tokunaga, R.S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in Human Behavior 26: 277–87.
• Wright, M.F. (2015). Cyber victimization and perceived stress linkages to late adolescents’ cyber aggression and psychological functioning, Youth Soc. 47 (6) 789–810.
• Ybarra, M. L., & Mitchell, K. J. (2004). Online aggressor/targets, aggressors, and targets: A comparison of associated youth characteristics. Journal of child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(7), 1308-1316.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Sara Qaisar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
