Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Resilience on Workplace Bullying and Employee Performance: A Moderated-Mediation Perspective

Abstract

Purpose: There has been a recent uptick in reports of workplace bullying, which has the potential to have an impact on productivity in manufacturing firms. Employee performance (EmPer) indicators such as psychological resilience (Psyche) and emotional intelligence (EmoI) have been found over the years, but their interplay with other factors has been poorly studied. Studying the mediating and moderating functions of Psyche and EmoI in the context of workplace bullying and employee performance was the primary goal of this research.   Design/methodology/data analysis: employees of manufacturing SMEs in southwestern Nigeria completed 512 online surveys, with each construct measured using an adopted and modified scale from existing studies. Additional analyses were performed on the collected data using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) software. These analyses included regression, factor analysis, structural equation modelling with the bootstrapping technique, reliability, validity, moderation, and model fit indices.   Findings: According to the study's findings, workplace bullying is positively associated with employee performance, emotional intelligence, and psychological resilience. It was also found that psychological resilience moderates the relationships between bully-EmPer and EmoI-EmPer, and that the bullying-EmPer relationship is partially mediated by mental health factors.   Originality/value: the current study makes a valuable empirical contribution by analyzing how workplace bullying affects performance in a manufacturing setting using a unique heuristic model. This study is the first to examine the mediating and moderating effect of psychological resilience on the link between bullying, EmoI, and EmPer among Nigerian manufacturing firms.   Practical implications: Even the most modest SMEs are subject to the well-established interaction between society and enterprise. As a result, managers of employees have an obligation to build bullying-free workplaces that promote safety, safeguard employees' basic rights, and, ultimately, increase their efficiency on the job.