Not All Aggressions Are Created Equal: A Multifoci Approach to Workplace Aggression

• Published in: Journal of occupational health psychology 2012-01, Vol.17 (1), p.79-92
• Main Authors: Chang, Chu-Hsiang (Daisy), Lyons, Brent J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aggression - psychology; Aggressive Behavior; Emotions; Employee Attitudes; Employee Turnover; Female; Human; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Male; Organizational Support; Personnel; Personnel Loyalty; Personnel Management - methods; Personnel Turnover; Working Conditions; Workplace - organization & administration; Workplace - psychology
• ISSN: 1076-8998; 1939-1307
• DOI: 10.1037/a0026073

Types of perpetrators of workplace aggression can vary considerably, and recent research has demonstrated that aggression from different perpetrator categories has different implications for victims. We extended research on multifoci aggression and explored affective and cognitive pathways linking verbal aggression from four perpetrator types-supervisors, coworkers, customers, and significant others-and employee morale and turnover intention. Data from a sample of 446 working adults indicated that both emotional strain and employees' corresponding judgments of their social exchange relationships with these perpetrators served as the mechanisms for the association between aggression from supervisors, coworkers, and customers and morale and turnover intention. Coworker aggression had a direct association with turnover intention and significant other aggression was related to turnover intention only through emotional strain. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.