“Shadows of suppression” – impact of workplace bullying on employee bootlegging behavior

Role of relational energy and symmetrical internal communication

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21620157
AutoresRishab Chauhan (0000-0002-2963-5494, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow Communication Area, , Lucknow, , and Jindal Global Business School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India), Payal Mehra (0000-0003-0447-1937, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow Communication Area, , Lucknow)
Año2026
Páginas1-25
Fecha de publicación2026-04-07
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Conflict Management (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1044-4068 • E-ISSN: 1758-8545
EditorialEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/ijcma-04-2025-0130
OpenAlexW7150828830
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas83

Purpose Employees’ bootlegging significantly contributes to corporate innovation. By relying on the conservation of resources theory, this study aims to explore the impact mechanism of workplace bullying on bootlegging, with relational energy as a mediator and symmetrical internal communication as the moderator. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this research, the authors used a mixed-method approach. Study 1 was an experimental scenario-based study, in which 210 participants participated, whereas Study 2 was a survey-based study in which 313 employees working in IT-enabled companies were surveyed in three waves. Furthermore, SPSS PROCESS (Models 4 and 7) was used to test the hypotheses related to mediation and moderated mediation. Findings The findings of this research first revealed that workplace bullying negatively affects bootlegging. Second, relational energy partially mediates the relationship between workplace bullying and bootlegging. Finally, symmetrical internal communication weakens the indirect, negative relationship between workplace bullying and bootlegging through relational energy. Originality/value Previous studies had majorly focused on positive aspects of organizational behavior (e.g. leader humor, leader humility, trustworthiness, organizational support) that contribute to bootlegging. By focusing on workplace bullying, this study contributes to the initial academic endeavors that focus on analyzing the impacts of dark aspects of organizations that can affect bootlegging. Furthermore, till now it is only the second study that has used an experimental approach to examine employee bootlegging conduct

Conservation of resources theory · Great Rift · Internal communications · Mediation · Moderated mediation · Workplace bullying · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Workplace Violence and Bullying