Workplace bullying and turnover intention among industrial employees: job burnout as a mediator

Purpose This study aims to investigate the direct effects of dimensions of workplace bullying and the mediating effect of job burnout on turnover intention among employees of chemical industries in Haripur. Design/methodology/approach This research had a cross-sectional study design, and this study collected data from 300 chemical sector employees via purposive sampling. Findings Findings show positive correlations among exposure to workplace bullying, job burnout and turnover intention. Workplace bullying and job burnout predict turnover intention among chemical sector employees. Notably, the person-related bullying dimension was more strongly associated with turnover intention than the other two. The mediation analysis demonstrates that job burnout mediates the link between turnover intention and workplace bullying. Research limitations/implications Using a cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causality among workplace bullying, job burnout and turnover intention. This design captures a snapshot in time but does not account for overtime changes and developments. Relying on self-reported data can introduce biases such as social desirability bias or recall bias. Participants might underreport or overreport their experiences of bullying, burnout and turnover intention. Pakistan’s chemical business’s unique organisational and cultural environment may mean the findings are less generalisable to other industries or situations. To address these limitations, future researchers should employ a longitudinal design to seek insight into the temporal dynamics of these variables. Blending multiple response formats and other reports can lower response bias. More diverse samples, industries and professions should be the goal of future research to increase the results’ representativeness and generalizability. Subsectors within the chemical industry and workers from other fields can provide a more complete picture. Future research should investigate additional mediators and moderators that influence these relationships. Another direction is to design workplace interventions and anti-bullying programs and evaluate their effectiveness. Practical implications The findings also add to the practical literature on organisational behaviour and employee well-being. Organisational leaders, executive managers and policymakers can derive insight to cultivate a healthy and supportive work environment. The screening and early detection of employees at risk of bullying and burnout can lower turnover rates. Besides, skills training in communication, conflict resolution, stress management and coping mechanisms should be arranged for managers and employees regularly. Organisations should design and implement anti-bullying policies, retention strategies and continuing research to uncover employees’ problems. After all, happy and valued employees positively contribute to organisational success. Social implications Organisations should consider these findings when formulating strategies to mitigate workplace bullying, as its long-term consequences can adversely affect organisational stability. Originality/value These results underscore the detrimental impact of workplace bullying, as it leads to job burnout and, subsequently, increases turnover intention. Organisations should consider these findings when formulating strategies to mitigate workplace bullying, as its long-term consequences can adversely affect organisational stability.