Interactive effect of CCM between the relationship of workplace bullying, burnout, and turnover intentions

Abstract

The key motive of this particular research was to elaborate the function of conflict climate management in the banking sector of Punjab, Pakistan. In this regard, survey method is used to collect data; the empirical test was conducted on the employees of the banking sector of Pakistan. Total 350 respondents were analyzed. In this study variable, workplace bullying, burnout, turnover intentions, and conflict climate management are tested. The results explain that burnout mediates the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intentions. Our main variable of this study is conflict climate management moderates the relationship of burnout and turnover intentions. This study highlights the importance of conflict climate management and its compulsory presence in the banking sector of Pakistan. The results of this study would be also helpful for the managers to adopt the best conflict management technique to solve any conflict in the organization for the smooth processes of the workplace and healthy working conditions which keep employees satisfied and productive that eventually benefits the organization.

Keywords:

• workplace bullying
• burnout
• turnover intentions
• conflict climate management

Public Interest Statement

The present study explains about the methods of managing the conflict with manager’s support. This study focuses on the banking sector of South Punjab, Pakistan. According to the study, if employees have a conflict with any of the other employees they feel exhausted which results in decreasing their interest in work and they started thinking of leaving the organization. In this regard, the management of the organization can play an important role by giving a climate for employees where they can trust on the managers that they will solve their problem. Employees know to whom they have to go if they are facing any kind of conflict and bullying in the organization. This results in decreasing the negative effect of bullying, maintaining interest in work, and lessening their intentions to leave the organization.

1. Introduction

Workplace bullying was termed as harassment even racial and sexual in nature, but since 1990 it has taken the place of a separate phenomenon (Simons, 2008). Now researchers have started showing interest and debating on workplace bullying (Hallberg, 2007). According to many empirical pieces of evidence, workplace bullying referred as a vital social problem with harmful effects for the person who is exposed to it, at the organizational level and at society level over the past three decades (Tepper and Henle, 2011; Zapf, Escartín, Einarsen, Hoel, & Vartia, 2011). Workplace bullying is described as “the act in which recipient feel intense stress, upset, helpless, embarrassed, vulnerable, which decreases the self-confidence, morale, and self-assurance due to constant, unpleasant, insulting, abusive, threatening, hateful, abuse of power and unfair decision-making behavior (MSF, 1995)”. Workplace bullying was experienced by many of the employees in different places such as in Scandinavia (1980s), afterward, in the UK (1990s). Some outcomes which are associated with workplace bullying are, increase in absenteeism rate (Asfaw, Chang, & Ray, 2014), decrease in creativity (Mathisen, Einarsen, & Mykletun, 2008), decrease in work engagement (Rodríguez-Muñoz et al., 2009), and increase in turnover rates (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Cooper, 2011). In this study, we are considering workplace bullying among coworkers of the banking sector to further elaborate this concept.

A severe consequence of workplace bullying is burnout. Whenever there is bullying in any organization, employees will experience burnout (Quine, 2001; Zapf, Knorz, & Kulla, 1996). Einarsen, Matthiesen, and Skogstad (1998) explored this concept by a study of Norwegian nurses and found that bulling leave a negative impact on nurses due to which they are practicing the highest level of burnout (Einarsen & Mikkelsen, 2003). In working environment context, burnout is termed as a long-term phenomenon of tiredness, discomfort, and lack of interest (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). Different researchers proposed that due to increasing in workplace bullying employees face burnout which eventually results in creating the intention to leave the organization (Laschinger, Wong, & Grau, 2012).

Turnover is referred to “the decision of an employee to leave the organization due to some circumstances” (Staw, 1980). In this study, we are focusing on the workplace bullying’s impact on the turnover intention with burnout as a mediator between them.

Zapf et al. (2011) proposed that employees have to feel satisfied while working in an organization by perceiving that there are a proper check and balance, rules and policies prevailing in the organization due to which top management keep on managing the problem, this will create belief among employees regarding the organization and there will be less bullying activities and reduction in its negative impact, e.g. retaining the employees by reducing turnover intentions. Generally, the two-dimensional taxonomy of conflict handling modes (collaborate, competition, compromise, avoidance, and accommodation) are used to resolve the conflict between the employees (Thomas, 1974).

In this study, we are going to discuss a new theory of conflict management climate. Conflict climate management (CCM) is defined as the employee’s belief about conflict management procedures, fair and conventional means and the interactive climate between the employees and the employer to solve any problem present in the organization (Rivlin, 2001). The present study shows how the presence of conflict management climate affects on the reports of workplace bullying which in turn leave an impact between the link of burnout and turnover intention. This study also explores how CCM moderates the relationship of burnout and turnover intention.

The study will theoretically contribute in the previous studies of CCM by finding new outcomes on which CCM is effecting among the employees of the banking sector. This study will also add to the previous literature by investigating the buffering role of CCM between the relationship of workplace bullying–burnout and burnout–employee turnover intentions. CCM may enhance the trust in employees that management of the organization will take control by applying procedures and policies to solve different problems prevailing in the organization. By implementing CCM in the organization, the negative consequences of bullying would be reduced. Exploring the CCM will be productive for future research and development as a new coping strategy to bullying.

Practically, the results of the present study have underscored the importance of preventing bullying by the implementation of procedures that promote the experience of fair conflict management when disputes and conflicts develop (Einarsen & Mikkelsen, 2003). Such procedures for managing the conflicts should include instructions with whom employees should talk and which measures they should take if they are involved in disagreements and conflicts, in spite of it how management will take action to solve such events (Einarsen & Hoel, 2008). According to the findings and results of a particular study, the discussion is specifically in the framework of employees of banking sector of South Punjab. This study will make major contributions in the context of the behavior of employee’s trust toward management, which would help in decreasing burnout and eventually turnover intention even in the presence of bullying among them in the future.

2. Literature review

2.1. Workplace bullying and turnover intention

This study focuses on the impact of workplace bullying on turnover intention. There is an uncertain relationship between absenteeism, turnover intentions, and actual turnover. There is a strong connection between turnover intentions and actual turnover (Borda & Norman, 1997). Intention to leave the organization is the most important interpreter of turnover (Price & Mueller, 1981; Seybolt, 1986). In 2008, effect of workplace bullying on turnover intention was studied in the nursing sector. According to the research, as the bullying behavior increased, so did the nurse’s intention to leave the organization. According to McKenna, Smith, Poole, and Coverdale (2003) in New Zealand, 34% of new graduate nurses left nursing due to violence. Another research on the link between workplace bullying and turnover was done by Van Schalkwyk, Els & Rothman (2011) found that a positive link exists between workplace bullying and turnover intention among health employees in South Africa. Furthermore, researchers investigated turnover intention due to workplace bullying in the nursing sector. Recently, another research on this relation explains that workplace bullying has an effect on nurses’ turnover intention (Landstrom, Biordi, & Gillies, 1989). In this present study, we want to investigate the impact of workplace bullying on turnover intention in the banking industry. As this relation is explored much in nursing sector, this study is focusing on the banking sector employees and their attitude toward this relation.

2.2. Workplace bullying and burnout

According to Einarsen et al. (1998), who have done research on 745 Norwegian nurses, revealed that bullied nurses as compared to non-bullied nurses are experiencing high dissatisfaction, low psychological well-being, and high burnout. Some researchers suggest a direct link between aggression and increases in absenteeism, burnout, and turnover (Farrell, 1999). According to another research, Portuguese nurses are facing a major problem of bullying; due to which they have considerably increased levels of burnout (Sá & Fleming, 2008). According to the report of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, their half of the sample (N = 3,300) was experiencing some kind of work frustration or burn out. The impact of workplace bullying is already tested on burnout in Nursing sector. Now, it can be tested on other sectors where employees experience bullying and burnout. For this reason, this study focuses on the banking sector of South Punjab Pakistan.

2.3. Burnout and turnover intentions

According to previous job stress models, the two conditions influence job stress outcomes (i.e. burnout and turnover intention), one is job demands (role stress) and the other is job resources (social support and job autonomy) (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001; Theorell, Karasek, & Eneroth, 1990). Workers who feel burned out and frustrated with their jobs are more likely to have higher turnover and be absent from work (De Croon, Sluiter, Blonk, Broersen, & Frings-Dresen, 2004). According to many researchers job conditions such as job autonomy, role stress and social support are due to job stress that is associated with burnout and turnover intention (Mor Barak, Nissly, & Levin, 2001; Um & Harrison, 1998). In this study, impact of burnout is being investigated on turnover intention.

2.4. Burnout as a mediator

Theoretical backgrounds of burnout suggest that burnout is an important mediator of the relationship of persistent job stresses and different behavioral outcomes (Cordes & Dougherty, 1993; Demerouti et al., 2001). According to the empirical studies turnover intention is the major outcome of burnout (Harrington, Bean, Pintello, & Mathews, 2001; Huang, Chuang, & Lin, 2003). The mediating influence of burnout was powerfully demonstrated between the relationship of stress and intention to leave. According to different researches, workplace bullying is linked to burnout and burnout results in turnover intentions (Nielsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Einarsen, 2015). In this study, we are exploring burnout mediating among the relation of workplace bullying and turnover intentions.

2.5. Conflict management climate as a moderator

A strong CCM specify that employees of the certain organization are highly motivated and have belief in their management that they would intervene in the problem and solve them by applying conflict management procedures (Rivlin, 2001). A strong CCM may provide support and advice to employees that their problem will be resolved in difficult situations. Many studies on Australian samples are conducted on the consequences of bullying and how the social climate act as a moderator between them (Bond, Tuckey, & Dollard, 2010; Law, Dollard, Tuckey, & Dormann, 2011). CCM has a significant impact on lowering reports of bullying, increased levels of work engagement, by acting as a buffer between them (Einarsen, Skogstad, Rørvik, Lande, & Nielsen, 2016). In this present study, we are investigating conflict climate management as a moderator in the relation between burnout and turnover intention, suggesting the weaker relationship when there is a strong CCM.

Hypothesis 1: Workplace bullying has a significant relationto turnover intention.

Hypothesis 2: Workplace bullying has a significant relation with burnout.

Hypothesis 3: Burnout has a significant relationto turnover intention.

Hypothesis 4: Burnout mediates the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention.

Hypothesis 5: CCM significantly moderates the relationship between burnout and turnover intention.

3. Method

As a data collection tool, the questionnaire was distributed among employees of the banking sector of Pakistan. The purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data as the aim of study was to measuring the effect of workplace bullying issue prevailing among the managers and their executives working in the banking sector. The sample size was consisted of 350 respondents for further study. The respondents were middle-level managers and executives working in the bank. Data were collected For sample size calculation, Chou, Bentler, and Satorra (1991) criteria were adopted. All the questions of questionnaire were taken and multiplied by 5, 7, or 15 to obtain a sample size according to SEM analysis. Workplace bullying serves as an independent variable in this study. To measure workplace bullying we adopted Negative Acts Questionnaire — Revised version (NAQ-R) (α = 0.917) by Einarsen (2001). The turnover intention which is the dependent variable of the study is measured using the Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire (α = 0.879) by Cammann, Fichman, Jenkins, and Klesh (1979). CCM was measured by four items developed from the Conflict Management Climate Scale (α = 0.84) regarding fairness resolution of dispute developed four items to measure CCM (Rivlin, 2001). Burnout has three different dimensions so it is analyzed using the questionnaire including three of them, which were developed and measured by the MBI (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 1996). The instrument of MBI consists of 22 items divided into the three dimensions, i.e. 9 items of emotional exhaustion (α = 0.90), 5 items of depersonalization (α = 0.76), and 8 items of personal accomplishment (α = 0.76).

The five-point likert scale from value 1 strongly disagree to 5 for strongly disagree with 3 as a neither agree or disagree. The data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. Data screening, reliability were analyzed using SPSS and Amos was used to check the data validity by running CFA and for Structural equational modeling (questionnaire is attached below in Appendix 1).

The demographic statistics explored that 77.1% respondents were males, while only 22.9% were females in this study. In qualification status, the maximum response was found from employees holding Master’s degree at 70%, while the least response was recorded from other than Bachelor’s and Master’s degree holders at 3.4%. On the other hand, the maximum age of the respondents was 26–30 at 49.1% and the minimum age was >41 at 0.9%. The income at maximum level was 20,000–30,000 at 88.9% and at minimum level was 10,000–20,000 at 0.3% (see Table 1).

Table 1. Respondent’s profile

	Frequency	%	Valid %	Cumulative %
Gender
Male	270	77.1	77.1	77.1
Female	80	22.9	22.9	100
Age
20–25	1	0.3	0.3	0.3
26–30	172	49.1	49.1	49.4
31–35	139	39.7	39.7	89.1
36–40	35	10.0	10.0	99.1
>41	3	0.9	0.9	100.0
Income
10,000–20,000	1	0.3	0.3	0.3
20,000–30,000	311	88.9	88.9	89.1
>30,000	38	10.9	10.9	100.0
Qualification
Bachelors	80	22.9	22.9	22.9
Master	245	70.0	70.0	92.9
M. Phil	13	3.7	3.7	96.6
Other	12	3.4	3.4	100.0

There was measured reliability test for work place bullying, burnout, conflict climate management, and turnover intention at 0.986, 0.844, 0.973, and 0.870 cronbach’s α, respectively (see Tables 2 and 3).

Table 2. Alpha reliability coefficient of composite scales, reliability statistics

Construct	Cronbach’s α	No. of items
Workplace bullying	0.986	22
Burnout	0.844	22
Conflict management climate	0.973	4
Turnover intention	0.870	3

Table 3. KMO and Bartlett’s test

Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy		.860
Bartlett’s Test of sphericity	Approx. χ^2	5.001E4
	Df	1,275
	Sig.	0.000

To analyze the linear relationship between all variables, firstly PCA test was conducted to check the sampling adequacy. KMO showed the 0.860 with significance of 0.000 (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Standardized factor loadings of the full model.

Notes: WB > Workplace bullying; CCM > Conflict climate management; TI > Turnover intentions; BO > Burnout.

After applying CFA to all the variables individually CFA is conducted by joining all the variables together in a single model to get a model fit. In addition, sample size was greater than 200 and the data were taken from random sampling technique. In confirmatory factor analysis, the overall model fit is 4.462 to support this study. In addition, convergent validity also supported this study. The output revealed CFI = 0.975, CMIN = 2.821, GFI = 0.924, RMSEA = 0.072, p-value = 0.001. The results showed that all variables, workplace bullying, burnout, conflict climate management, and turnover intentions fit the data adequately and significantly appropriate with this hypothesized model (Figure 2 and Table 4).

Figure 2. Model for mediation analysis.

Notes: Bomean > Burnout mean; Wbmean > Workplace bullying mean; Tim3 > Turnoner intentions mean.

Table 4. Regression analysis

	Estimate	S.E.	C.R.	p
Burnout ← Workplace bullying	0.867	0.019	32.530	***
Turnover intentions ← Workplace bullying	0.427	0.022	4.443	***
Turnover intentions ← Burnout	0.764	0.031	7.941	***

*** p value less than 0.001

The impact of workplace bullying and burnout was tested and the β 0.867 shows its significant relation. The impact of workplace bullying on turnover intention is also significant with β value of 0.427. Same case goes with burnout and turnover intentions with β value of 0.764. p-values of the relations are also significant which supports H1, H2, and H3 (Table 5).

Table 5. Regression analysis mediation

Path	Total effect (TE)	p-value of TE	Direct effect (DE)	p-value of DE	Indirect effect (IE)	p-value of IE	Results
WB BO TI	0.867	0.001	0.427	0.001	0.662	0.001	Partial mediation

3.1. Mediation analysis

According to Preacher and Hayes (2008), the indirect path should be significant it would result in the presence of the mediation. According to Baron and Kenny (1986), if a direct path is significant with indirect path then the mediation is partial mediation. Our results depict that the indirect path is significant with a p value of 0.001 (p < 0.05) and direct path is also significant with the p value of 0.001 (p < 0.05) so mediation is partial. These results are supported H4 of our study.

3.2. Moderation analysis

In this model, there is one path of burnout and turnover intention. In this path, conflict management climate is acting as a moderator. Firstly, mean is being computed and standardized the variables, then saved them as Z scores. Their interaction variables have also been computed. After computed all the required values regression is performed on these paths separately (Chart 1).

Chart 1. BO, TI, and CCM.

This graph shows that CCM dampens the positive relation between burnout and turnover intentions. The blue line in the graph depicts that when CCM is low, burnout faced by the employees is high, but according to red line in the presence of high CCM the burnout decreases. The graph is intersecting with each other which depicts that moderation is occurring in this relation. So, H5 that CCM is acting as a moderator between BO and TI is accepted.

4. Discussion and conclusion

Presently, turnover intention is a very critical problem in most of the organizations. Many antecedents such as job dissatisfaction, work-family conflict, low incentives, bad working conditions are the cause of turnover intentions. This study focuses on a very major antecedent of turnover intention that is workplace bullying. Today, many organizations are working on conflict handling techniques to reduce the impact of turnover intentions among employees (Hodgins, MacCurtain, & Mannix-McNamara, 2014). This study deals with such a technique which is climate conflict management. By applying conflict management theory, employers has enhanced the trust and belief of employees in the management of the organization. This study also deals with a psychological problem occurred due to workplace bullying, i.e. burnout. Workplace bullying enhances the disinterest in work among employees causing burnout which consequently leads to turnover intention. To deal with such problem and to retain the human capital of the organization as a long-lasting asset, organizations is providing conflict management climate. Workplace bullying has been studied before in different occupations, e.g. among teachers, nurses, labors. Now, we are studying it among employees of banking sector because it is seen that while doing the job in the bank an employee has to deal with many customers and due to processes and procedures employees are facing horizontal bullying (Blackstock, Harlos, Macleod, & Hardy, 2015). To check the impact of workplace bullying on burnout and turnover intention as a consequence of burnout, many tests are applied on all the variables.

Results show that the entire hypothesis developed was correct. Workplace bullying and turnover intention has a significant impact on each other. That results in acceptance of the first hypothesis that is workplace bullying has a significant impact on turnover intention. The transactional theories of stress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1986), cognitive activation theory (CATS; Ursin & Eriksen, 2004), and affective events theory (AET; Weiss & Cropanzano, 1996) theories suggests the workplace bullying and its negative impact on the organizations. In the presence of burnout, the impact of workplace bullying and turnover intention is positively and highly correlated. In support of the COR theory, the hypothesis that burnout is mediated between workplace bullying and turnover intention is also accepted according to the results. Whenever an employee is exposed to bullying the employee feel disinterest in doing his work at the workplace that causes burnout (Hobfoll, 2002). The employee who is dealing with burnout experiences isolation, increased absenteeism, low productivity, and high turnover intention. To deal with this problem, our study focuses on conflict climate management. According to the results, when the employee is burnout and feels uncomfortable in the organization and reduction in their performance occurs at that time theory of climate for conflict management plays a pivotal role (Rivlin, 2001). By discussing the reasons of burnout with the management increases the belief and trust of employees and they feel comfortable to work with the organization because they think that their problem would be solved which results in the decrease in turnover intention (Rodríguez-Muñoz et al., 2009). This phenomenon support the hypothesis that conflict, climate management moderates the relationship between burnout and turnover intention.

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Correction

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Usama Najam

Usama Najam is a lecturer working in Air University Multan Campus. His areas of interest are Leadership, Conflict Management, and Business Ethics.

Sadia Ishaque

Sadia Ishaque is lecturer in Air University Multan campus. Her area of interest is organizational behavior.

Sumiya Shoukat

Sumiya Shoukat is a researcher in Multan, Pakistan and done MBA. Her focus subject is Human Resource.

M. Hayat Awan

M. Hayat Awan is the director of Air University Multan Campus. His area of interest is Management.

Nabeel Younus Ansari

Nabeel Younus Ansari is also a lecturer in Air university, and his area of interest is Marketing.

Basic information

Organization name:_______________ City: _____________ Designation:____________

(1)	Gender: □ male, □ female
(2)	Age: □ 20–25 □ 26–30 □ 31–35 □ 36–40 □> 41
(3)	Marital status: □ Single □ Married □ Divorced
(4)	Education: □ Bachelor □ Master □ M Phil/PhD □ Other/Professional
(5)	Income: □ 10,000–20,000 □ 20,000–30,000 □ 30,000 above

Table

	Express your opinion regarding the following statements on five points scales ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly agree
Workplace bullying (insult and ragging by fellows)
01.	Someone is withholding information which affects your performance
02.	Practical jokes are carried out by people you don’t get on with
03.	You have got threats of violence or physical abuse or actual abuse
04.	You are being exposed to an unmanageable workload
05.	You are being the subject of excessive teasing and sarcasm
06.	You are pressurized not to claim something, which by right you are entitled to (e.g. sick leave, holiday entitlement, and travel expenses)
07.	Excessive monitoring of your work is carried out
08.	Allegations are made against you
09.	You are being given tasks with unreasonable or impossible targets or deadlines
10.	You are being humiliated or ridiculed in connection with your work
11.	Your opinions and views are ignored
12.	You have got persistent criticism of your work and effort
13.	You are being ignored or facing a hostile reaction when you approach
14.	If I may choose again, I will choose to work for the current organization
15.	You have received hints or signals from others that you should quit your job
16.	Intimidating behaviours such as finger-pointing, invasion of personal space, shoving, Blocking/barring the way are made
17.	You are being shouted at or being the target of spontaneous anger (or rage)
18.	Insulting or offensive remarks are being made about your personal (i.e. habits and background), attitudes or your private life
19.	You are being ignored or excluded
20.	You are being ordered to do work below your level of competence
21.	Gossips and rumours are being spread about you
22.	Your key areas of responsibility removed or replaced with more trivial or unpleasant tasks
Burnout (stress and disinterest in work)
23.	I feel emotionally drained from my work
24.	I feel used up at the end of the workday
25.	I feel fatigued when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on the job
26.	Working with people all day is really a strain for me
27.	I feel burned out from my work
28.	I feel frustrated by my job
29.	I feel I’m working too hard on my job
30.	Working with people directly puts too much stress on me
31.	I feel like I’m at the end of my patience
32.	I can easily understand how my clients feel about things
33.	I deal very effectively with the problems of my clients
34.	I feel I’m positively influencing other people’s lives through my work
35.	I feel very energetic
36.	I can easily create a relaxed atmosphere with my clients
37.	I feel excited after working closely with my clients
38.	I have accomplished many worthwhile things in this job
39.	In my work, I deal with emotional problems very calmly
40.	I feel I treat some clients as if they were lacking emotions
41.	I’ve become harsher toward people since I took this job
42.	I worry that this job is hardening me emotionally
43.	I don’t really care what happens to some clients
44.	I feel clients blame me for some of their problems
Conflict climate management (supportive workplace climate by management)
45.	If I have a serious disagreement with someone at work, I know who I should talk to about it
46.	The way we deal with disagreements between employees in my unit works well
47.	My superiors deal with conflicts in a good manner
48.	We have good procedures and methods for raising disagreements and conflicts in my workplace
Turnover intentions (intention to leave).
49.	I often think of leaving this organization
50.	It is very possible that I will look for a new job soon
51.	If I may choose again, I will choose to work for the current organization (R)