Perceptions of Gender-Based and Age-Based Discrimination in The Workplace: A Serial Mediation Model of The Differential Roles of Perceived Mobbing And Demotion on Subsequent Discomfort

One study tested a serial-mediation model exploring the moderating role of the type of perceived discrimination at work on the causal path linking perceived mobbing (i.e. the perception of being the object of continuous reprimands for errors committed), perceived demotion (i.e. the perception of being assigned to tasks inferior to one's job role), and psychological discomfort related to carrying out daily work. The current work argues that that mobbing will be perceived as the cause of demotion, which will in turn be perceived as a discriminative behaviour actually caused by one's gender and age, which will then increase negative feelings. As expected, findings indicated that the perception of being assigned to tasks inferior to one's job role increased perceived discrimination due to one's sexual gender and age, which in turn exacerbated the psychological discomfort related to carrying out daily work. All of the possible alternative serial-mediation models proved to be statistically non significant.