Citation

Mulder R, Bos AER, Pouwelse M, van Dam K. J. Soc. Psychol. 2016; 157(1): 16-29.

Affiliation

b Open University , Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences , Heerlen , Netherlands .

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00224545.2016.1152213

PMID

26886252

Abstract

Victims of workplace mobbing show diverse coping behavior. We investigated the impact of this behavior on bystander cognitions, emotions and helping toward the victim, integrating coping literature with attribution theory. Adult part-time university students (N = 161) working at various organizations participated in a study with a 3(Coping: approach/avoidance/neutral) x 2(Gender Victim: male/female) x 2(Gender Bystander: male/female) design. Victims showing approach (vs. avoidance) coping were considered to be more self-reliant and less responsible for the continuation of the mobbing, and elicited less anger. Continuation responsibility and self-reliance mediated the relationship between the victim's coping behavior and bystanders' helping intentions. Female (vs. male) participants reported more sympathy for the victim and reported greater willingness to help, and female (vs. male) victims elicited less anger. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Language: en