When does poor health increase the risk of subsequent workplace bullying? The dangers of low or lack of leadership support

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2021.2003781

Commentary

Research has shown that personal mental health problems can lead to workplace bullying.

The current study investigated whether this effect is also true for non-mental health problems. The support of workplace supervisors has been shown to mitigate the consequences associated with bullying. It was hypothesized that poor health would be a risk factor for bullying and that a supportive leadership style could mitigate it.

Using a two-wave design with 958 participants, logistic regression was used to test the association between health and workplace bullying.

A moderation analysis tested supportive leadership styles as moderators.

The study resulted in two new findings.

(a) The supportive leadership style has a powerful moderating effect on bullying behavior, both directly and as a buffer.

(b) Poor general health, including poor physical health, approximately doubles the risk of being a victim of workplace bullying.

These findings further clarify the boundary conditions for the opposite effect, stating that the opposite effect only exists when the level of leadership support is low or non-existent.