The tangled web: consequences of workplace cyberbullying in adult male and female employees

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test a moderated mediation model that links the experience of cyberbullying, perceived stress and job satisfaction among Australian employees. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 254 white collar Australian employees was conducted from a wide variety of business corporations to investigate the role of workplace cyberbullying and job outcomes. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted. Findings Results indicated that workplace cyberbullying resulted in perceived stress, which in turn predicted employee’s job dissatisfaction. The results further revealed that cyberbullied female employees as opposed to male employees were more likely to report greater perceived stress and to be dissatisfied in their job. Research limitations/implications Overall, the results suggest that cyberbullying is a potential resource drain for employees and has detrimental implications in their organisational life. Importantly, male and female employees reacted to workplace cyberbullying differently suggesting the need to address the issue of workplace cyberbullying more gender sensitively. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence that workplace cyberbullying can be a gendered phenomenon. Furthermore, COR theory and gender role theory is combined to reveal the differences between men and women in terms of their vulnerability towards different stressors.