The Effect of Family Incivility on Workplace Bullying with the Mediating Role of Psychological Safety in Media Organizations (Case Study: Isfahan City Newspapers)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Instructor, Department of Management, University of Applied Science and Technology, Farsan Center, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran.

2 Instructor, Department of Management, University of Applied Sciences of Drijeno Cultural and Art Center, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran

3 Instructor, Department of Management, University of Applied Sciences of Farsan Center, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran

Abstract

Objective
Bullying in the workplace has not yet been fully investigated in Iranian media organizations, leading organizations to overlook deviant behavior. The current research is among the few efforts to address this gap in academic attention, aiming to empirically investigate workplace bullying, its connection to the home environment, and ways to mitigate it both at work and at home. The work-home resource model (Ten Brummelhuis & Bakker, 2012) suggests that undesirable work behaviors may stem from various situational demands originating in one domain (such as family incivility) and spilling over into the work domain. It is posited that family incivility increases workplace bullying among employees, aligning with the resource conservation theory, which suggests that adverse life events deplete personal resources, leading to inappropriate coping behaviors. Psychological safety is proposed as a critical personal resource serving as an explanatory mechanism linking family incivility to workplace bullying. The study also explores the potential conditional effect of various situational resources at the individual level in mitigating the impact of adverse life events. Media organizations, including Isfahan press and others, hold significant roles concerning concepts of family incivility and workplace bullying. However, research addressing workplace bullying and its antecedents in media organizations, particularly in Isfahan city newspapers, is lacking. This study aims to investigate the effect of family incivility on workplace bullying, with psychological safety as a mediator, among Isfahan press workers.
Research Methodology
The study adopts a descriptive correlational research method. The statistical population comprises all employees and reporters of press offices (Isfahan city newspapers). A total of 270 individuals were purposively sampled from the 2024 workforce of press offices in Isfahan city, using Cochran's sampling formula. Research data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of 49 specialized questions across three variables: family incivility, workplace bullying, and psychological safety, rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Content validity was ensured through expert review, while face validity was confirmed through pilot testing. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the questionnaire's reliability.
Findings
According to the WARP software output, family incivility significantly impacts workplace bullying directly and indirectly through psychological safety. Family incivility positively influences workplace bullying (coefficient: 0.55) but negatively affects psychological safety (coefficient: -0.33). Psychological safety, in turn, negatively influences workplace bullying (coefficient: -0.35). Furthermore, the indirect effect of family incivility on workplace bullying through psychological safety is negative (coefficient: -0.45).
Discussion & Conclusion
This research contributes to the understanding of family incivility and its relationship with workplace bullying, shedding light on factors influencing this process. The study highlights the importance of mitigating resources from a work-home context, which has been relatively overlooked. The findings align with existing research and emphasize the negative impact of family incivility on psychological safety and subsequently on workplace bullying. Employees experiencing family incivility may exhibit reduced personal resources, impacting their job satisfaction and performance. Addressing family incivility and promoting psychological safety can help prevent workplace bullying, a less researched area in Iran.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Media Management Review
Volume 2, Issue 4
2023
Pages 466-485

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