Conflict management climate and the prevention of workplace bullying
A multi-cohort three-wave longitudinal study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21620254 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stefan Blomberg (0000-0002-3904-1948), Ståle Einarsen (0000-0002-2999-1579), Michael Rosander (0000-0002-0202-4650) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 841-857 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Conflict Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1044-4068 • E-ISSN: 1758-8545 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/ijcma-11-2024-0298 |
| OpenAlex | W4410044180 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 39 |
Purpose This study aims to investigate whether a strong conflict management climate (CMC) over time is associated with reduced reports of workplace bullying and whether it buffers the long-term association between workplace bullying at baseline and subsequent exposure to bullying. The authors’ hypothesized that CMC would moderate this association over time, even after adjusting for the activity level of the immediate superior. Design/methodology/approach This study used a three-wave longitudinal design spanning three and a half years, with a four-cohort sample of 1,093 employees. Findings The results showed that the long-term association did depend on CMC, independent of the activity level of the immediate superior. In addition, the study indicated a strong direct effect of CMC on workplace bullying levels. Theoretically, these effects may be understood through facets of the conservation of resources theory. Practical implications The study highlights the importance of a strong CMC at work as a preventive measure against workplace bullying, fostering employees’ trust that interpersonal conflicts will be handled promptly, effectively and fairly, reducing the likelihood of escalation into mistreatment or abusive behaviours. Originality/value The study’s originality lies in its extended timeframe (three and a half years), the separate measurement of CMC between bullying assessments and the adjustment for supervisor activity level, which allows for isolating the effect of CMC. These factors made detecting the moderating effect more challenging, yet the authors’ still found a significant moderating effect of CMC
Cohort · Conflict management · Longitudinal study · Political science · Workplace bullying · Applied Psychology · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Harassment · Workplace Violence and Bullying
Beware of Non-Supportive Leaders
Psychosocial safety climate as a precursor to conducive work environments, psychological health problems, and employee engagement
Understanding Self-Report Bias in Organizational Behavior Research
Assembling Fragments Into a Lens
Invisible at Work
Common method biases in behavioral research
The Influence of Culture, Community, and the Nested‐Self in the Stress Process
Workplace bullying and employee silence
Psychometric properties and cut‐off scores for the Swedish version of the Negative Acts Questionnaire
Empirical Findings on Prevalence and Risk Groups of Bullying in the Workplace
Measuring exposure to bullying and harassment at work
The nature and causes of bullying at work
Relationships between stressful work environments and bullying
Conservation of Resources in the Organizational Context
Psychosocial safety and conflict management as resources for reducing workplace bullying of immigrants working in Sweden
A qualitative study on the development of workplace bullying
Conservation of resources
The Contagion of Stress across Multiple Roles
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |