Workplace Violence and Employee Engagement: The Mediating Role of Work Environment and Organizational Culture

Abstract

Employees working across all domains of professions are exposed to workplace violence (WPV). Few researchers have investigated the effects of WPV on employee engagement (EE) and the impact of the work environment and organizational culture on their relationship. The aim of this research is to describe the effect of WPV on EE and clarify the relationship between WPV, work environment, organizational culture, and EE. A cross-sectional study was performed on the data, collected from 178 alumni of a university, currently employed in caring, customer care, managerial, and technology professions in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey post hoc tests were employed for data analysis. The results showed that 88.7% of respondents had experienced WPV during the last 12 months. Significant differences existed in the work-related harassment and physical violence reported by occupational groupings. WPV had a significant direct negative effect on EE (β = −.556**), work environment (β = −.440) and organizational culture (β = −.758**). Furthermore, the work environment (β = −.123**) and organizational culture (β = −.157**) have a significant negative effect on EE, and both mediated the relationship between WPV and EE. The results show that employees working in caring and customer care are exposed to considerable risk of WPV. The findings underscore that a supportive work environment and positive organizational culture play a mediating role between WPV and EE among employees.