This study examined whether perceived organisational support (POS) moderates the relationship between workplace bullying and victims’ intention to leave. Based on data from 335 schoolteachers, a hierarchical regression analysis using the product term revealed that POS moderates the effects of bullying on intention to leave. Furthermore, a series of univariate regression analyses revealed that the effects of bullying on intention to leave were significant with lower levels of POS but were non‐significant with higher levels of POS. Several implications for future research and policy are drawn from the findings.

This paper examined the physical and psychological effects of workplace bullying and their relationship to intention to leave. Participants were 150 undergraduate students who had been employed during the last 12 months. Workplace bullying correlated positively with physical symptoms, negative affect, and with intention to leave the job. Partial Least Squares analyses were used to test two competing models for the relationship between bullying, physical and psychological effects, and intention to leave. The results supported the psychosomatic model (i.e., bullying leads to negative affect which leads to physical health problems, which in turn increase intention to leave) but not the disability hypothesis (i.e., bullying leads to physical health problems which lead to negative affect, which in turn increases intention to leave).

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze cross-national and cross-cultural similarities and differences in perceptions and conceptualizations of workplace bullying among human resource professionals (HRPs). Particular emphasis was given to what kind of behaviors are considered as bullying in different countries and what criteria interviewees use to decide whether a particular behavior is bullying or not. Design/methodology/approach HRPs in 13 different countries/regions (n=199), spanning all continents and all GLOBE cultural clusters (House et al., 2004), were interviewed and a qualitative content analysis was carried out. Findings Whereas interviewees across the different countries largely saw personal harassment and physical intimidation as bullying, work-related negative acts and social exclusion were construed very differently in the different countries. Repetition, negative effects on the target, intention to harm, and lack of a business case were decision criteria typically used by interviewees across the globe – other criteria varied by country. Practical implications The results help HRPs working in multinational organizations understand different perceptions of negative acts. Originality/value The findings point to the importance of cultural factors, such as power distance and performance orientation, and other contextual factors, such as economy and legislation for understanding varying conceptualizations of bullying.

This paper examines the relationship between the occupational stress of employees in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their intentions to leave the organization. A sample of 154 employees from SMEs completed written questionnaires. The responses from the sample are used to test the hypotheses that job satisfaction, affective commitment, and perceived organizational support (POS) will mediate the relationship between stress and intention to leave. The results of the regression analyses indicate that POS fully mediates the relationship between stress and intention to leave, while job satisfaction and affective commitment are partial mediators of the aforementioned relationship. The implications of the findings for managementparticularly those in SMEs-are discussed, as are the limitations of the research and directions for future research in this domain.

Workplace bullying includes behaviors such as harassing, offending, or socially excluding the target. This study examines whether the relationship between workplace bullying and intention to leave is mediated by affective commitment. Based on data from 142 schoolteachers in China, a partial least squares analysis revealed that affective commitment partially mediates the effect of bullying on intention to leave. Furthermore, the direct effect of bullying on intention to leave is stronger than the indirect effect. Theoretical and practical implications include that awareness needs to be raised about what constitutes bullying behavior and that more emphasis needs to be placed on preventing bullying in the workplace.