The relationship between workplace bullying and intention to leave: The mediating effect of psychological conditions

Abstract

Orientation: Workplace bullying is widely associated with a range of adverse outcomes for both individuals and organisations. To advance understanding of this phenomenon, scholars have called for research that examines the underlying mechanisms through which workplace bullying influences employee outcomes.
Research purpose: This study examined how the psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability influence employees’ intention to leave after experiences of workplace bullying.
Motivation for the study: There is limited empirical research exploring the mediating role of personal resources in the relationship between workplace bullying and employees’ intention to leave.
Research approach/design and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed using a sample of South African employees (N = 201). Descriptive, correlation and mediation analyses were utilised to analyse the data.
Main findings: Workplace bullying was positively and significantly associated with intention to leave. This relationship was partially mediated by psychological meaningfulness and psychological safety, while psychological availability did not emerge as a significant mediator. Although workplace bullying exerted an indirect effect on intention to leave through the psychological conditions, the direct effect remained stronger.
Practical/managerial implications: The findings underscore the need for intervention strategies that address both the prevention of bullying behaviours and the restoration of key psychological conditions to support employee retention.
Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to workplace bullying literature by highlighting psychological meaningfulness and psychological safety as key interpretive and relational resources through which employees make sense of bullying experiences and form turnover intentions.