Towards a sustainable workplace: investigating workplace cyberbullying and its relationship with employee wellbeing and intention to stay in remote and hybrid work settings

Abstract

PurposeThe advent of information and communication technologies in workplace settings has broadened the range of bullying behaviours that can manifest in the digital realm. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the impact of situational factors on employees' perceived cyberbullying within the workplace framework. Broadly, this study aims to investigate the effects of workplace cyberbullying on employees' wellbeing at work and their intention to stay with the organization, across two groups of employees: those who work in a fully remote mode and those employed in hybrid work arrangements.Design/methodology/approachThe current descriptive and time-lagged study was conducted among a sample of 373 employees who work in the information technology sector in India, in either fully-remote or hybrid mode. The study utilized self-report questionnaires, which employed previously validated questionnaires. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis using IBM SPSS, AMOS, and STATs Tools Package.FindingsThe results demonstrate that cyberbullying negatively affects wellbeing at work and employees' intentions to stay with the organization. Remote-work employees experienced higher effects of workplace cyberbullying on their wellbeing at work. Also, the indirect effect of wellbeing at work was more pronounced and influential among remote work employees than hybrid work employees, suggesting the need for tailored support and resources for remote workers. Multi-group analysis across employees working in remote and hybrid work arrangements revealed that the relationship between workplace cyber-bullying and wellbeing at work is statistically stronger for remote-work employees.Originality/valueThis study represents a novel approach to developing and evaluating a theoretical model that explores the relationship between workplace cyberbullying, wellbeing at work, and the intention to stay with the organization within the context of remote/hybrid work arrangements. The findings offer theoretical and practical implications regarding the impact of workplace cyberbullying on job outcomes and aim to bridge a gap in current research. Particularly, the study highlights the positive outcomes of hybrid work over remote work and offers recommendations to mitigate the negative experiences among employees who work remotely.