Lifestyle, conflict-solving styles and exposure to workplace bullying a model of mediation

Abstract

The present study identified direct and indirect relationships between lifestyle attributes and exposure to workplace bullying (via the conflict-solving styles of problem solving, compromising, yielding, and forcing). Our results demonstrated that being cautious, going along, and taking charge were positively directly related to exposure to workplace bullying. In addition, higher belonging/social interest was related to less exposure to bullying via more frequent use of problem solving and less frequent use of forcing. Higher being cautious was related to greater exposure to bullying via less frequent use of problem solving. Higher going along was related to greater bullying via more frequent use of forcing. On the one hand, higher taking charge and wanting recognition were related to greater exposure to bullying via more frequent use of forcing. On the other hand, they were also related to less bullying via more frequent use of problem solving. The results prompt the inclusion of situational moderators that would help us to identify when conflict-solving styles are used. The conflict-solving styles of compromising and yielding did not explain the indirect effects, so the findings highlighted the two key conflict-solving dimensions of problem solving and forcing which partially explained the mechanisms that underlie the relationship between lifestyle attributes and workplace bullying.