WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGICAL AGGRESSION: RESOLVING THE BATTLE OF COMPETING ...

120 Pages·2013·1.39 MB·English

by  Wendi B.

WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGICAL AGGRESSION: RESOLVING THE
BATTLE OF COMPETING CONSTRUCTS

By
WENDI LEE BENSON

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Psychology

MAY 2013

© Copyright by WENDI LEE BENSON, 2013
All Rights Reserved
© Copyright by WENDI LEE BENSON, 2013
All Rights Reserved
To the Faculty of Washington State University:
The members of the Committee appointed to examine the
dissertation of WENDI LEE BENSON find it satisfactory and recommend that it be accepted.

Tahira M. Probst, Ph.D., Chair

Thomas M. Tripp, Ph.D.

Jesus Bravo, Ph.D.

ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The completion of this dissertation would not have been possible without the support of
my family, academic adviser, and colleagues. Namely, I want to thank my Grandmothers
(Carolyn Coyer and Betty Fellows) and my Father (Dean McGarvey) who instilled me with a
strong work ethic, provided endless love and support, and who gave me the strength to pursue
my goals when I felt discouraged. I also want to thank my husband (Jon Benson) who has been
by my side throughout all of the highs and lows of moving across the country to attend graduate
school and completion of my degree. I am also extremely grateful to have my amazing academic
adviser (Dr. Tahira M. Probst) whose wisdom, patience, and guidance have made me a better
researcher and more well rounded person. Finally, I want to thank my graduate school colleagues
(Dr. Kristine Olson, Dr. Maja Graso, Lixin Jiang, Jason Potwora, and Erin Bobeck) who have
given me empathy, comic relief, and great memories throughout my time as a graduate student.

iii
WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGICAL AGGRESSION: RESOLVING THE
BATTLE OF COMPETING CONSTRUCTS

Abstract

by Wendi Lee Benson, Ph.D.
Washington State University
May 2013

Chair: Tahira M. Probst

Current research on workplace psychological aggression (WPA) is fragmented, with
some researchers stressing the importance of studying unique constructs and others emphasizing
the similarities among constructs and the need to unify the theory of WPA. To date, no research
has empirically examined the similarities and uniqueness of WPA constructs. This study
addressed the current gap in research by examining the overlap of commonly studied WPA
constructs (i.e., bullying, incivility, and abusive supervision) in terms of factor structure,
outcomes, and context. Results from this cross-sectional survey study using a sample of n = 750
working college students suggest there is a substantial degree of overlap among measures of
bullying, incivility, and abusive supervision (with the supervisor referent removed). Specifically,
results indicated a single higher order factor accounted for a significant and substantial
proportion of the variance in measures of bullying, incivility, and abusive supervision. There was
a similar pattern of relationships between each WPA construct and job related attitudes and
burnout. The commonly cited contextual differences among bullying, incivility, and abusive
iv
supervision (i.e., perceived harmful intent, duration, and primary perpetrator status) were similar
across constructs and did not consistently moderate the relationships between each WPA
construct and job related attitudes and burnout.
Current research on WPA is also fragmented with regards to the direct and indirect effect
of WPA on job related outcomes. Although many theoretical models of WPA suggest that affect
is a mediator of the relationship between WPA and job related outcomes, the majority of
empirical studies only examine direct effects. This study empirically examined affective
reactions to bullying, incivility, and abusive supervision as a mediator of the relationship
between these WPA constructs and job related attitudes and burnout. Results indicated affective
reactions to WPA were a mediator of all significant relationships between WPA constructs and
job related attitudes and burnout. Further, affective reactions were a more consistent predictor of
job related attitudes and burnout than bullying, incivility, and abusive supervision.

v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………………iii
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………iv-v
LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………..ix
LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………….x
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….1
The Defining Characteristics of WPA Constructs.………………………………..6
Incivility…………………………………………………………………...6
Bullying…………………………………………………………………...7
Abusive Supervision………………………………………………………7
The Overlap of WPA Constructs..…………………………………………….......8
WPA as an Integrated Construct…………………………………………………..9
The Indirect Effects of WPA on Job Related Outcomes………………………...14
The Direct Effects of WPA on Job Related Outcomes……………………..........16
Moderators of the Effects of Experiencing WPA………………………………..19
Perceived Perpetrator Intent……………………………………………...21
Duration………………………………………………………………….22
Perpetrator Status………………………………………………………...23
Controlling for Organizational Constraints……………………………………...25
2. METHODS…………………………………………………………………………..27
Participants……………………………………………………………………….27
vi
Procedure………………………………………………………………………...28
Study Measures…………………………………………………………………..30
Workplace Psychological Aggression (WPA)…………………………...30
Intent, Duration, and Perpetrator Status of WPA………………………..33
Affective reactions to WPA……………………………………………...34
Job Attitudes………………………………………………………….….34
Burnout…………………………………………………………………..36
Organizational Constraints…………………………………………….....37
Measures not Included in the Study……………………………………...37
3. ANALYSIS AND RESULTS…………………………………………………….…...38
Analysis……………………………………………………………………….….38
Results…………………………………………………………………………....43
The Factor Structure of WPA……………………………………….…...43
Indirect Effects of WPA on Job-related Outcomes……………….……...47
Direct Effects of WPA on Job-related Outcomes……………………..…48
Moderators of the Effects of WPA………………………………………51
Testing for Mono-Method Bias………………………………………….59
4. DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………………60
Theoretical Implications…………………………………………………………60
Factor Structure of WPA Constructs………………………………….…59
Relationships between Job Related Outcomes and WPA Constructs…....61
Contextual Similarities among WPA Constructs……………………..….62
Contextual Moderators of the Relationship between Job Related
Outcomes and WPA Constructs……………………………………….....64
vii
Negative Affective Reactions as a Mediator of the Relationship
Between Job Related Outcomes and WPA…………………………..…..66

Methodological Implications………………………………………………….....67
Combining Findings for Different WPA Constructs………………..…...67
Controlling for Other Predictors of Job Related Attitudes and
Burnout…………………………………………………………………..67

Measuring Contextual Aspects of WPA………………………………....68
Practical Implications…………………………………………………………….69
Study Strengths and Limitations………………………………………………....70
Summary and Conclusion……..…………………………………………………73
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………..75
APPENDIX
A. SURVEY INSTRUMENT…………………………………………………………....92

viii
LIST OF TABLES
1. Fit Indices for CFA Models……………………………………………………………….....46
2. Fit Indices for SRA Models……………………………………………………………….....47
3. Zero-Order Correlation Coefficients among Independent and Dependent Variables……….50
4. Hierarchical Linear Moderated Regression Analysis Predicting Hypothesized Outcomes of
Workplace Psychological Aggression with Bullying Experiences, Characteristics, and
Perceptions…………………………………………………………………………………...53
5. Hierarchical Linear Moderated Regression Analysis Predicting Hypothesized Outcomes of
Workplace Psychological Aggression with Incivility Experiences, Characteristics, and
Perceptions…………………………………………………………………………………...54
6. Hierarchical Linear Moderated Regression Analysis Predicting Hypothesized Outcomes of
Workplace Psychological Aggression with Abuse Experiences, Characteristics, and
Perceptions……………………….……………………………………………………….….55

ix