Illuminating the dark side of cyberbullying and harmonizing workplace sustainability in Egyptian hotels

Purpose This study examines the impact of cyberbullying on the psychological well-being and creativity of housekeeping staff in the hospitality industry. Grounded in the general strain theory and conservation of resources theory, the study aims to (1) explore the effect of workplace cyberbullying on employees’ psychological well-being, (2) investigate the moderating role of organizational resilience in the relationship between workplace cyberbullying and employees’ psychological well-being and (3) analyze the roles of perceived work-related stress and work meaninglessness in the link between psychological well-being and employee creativity. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted, collecting data from 804 housekeeping staff working in five-star hotels in Egypt. The study employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4.0 to analyze the data and test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The findings reveal that cyberbullying significantly harms employees’ psychological well-being and increases job stress, which in turn negatively affects their creativity. Organizational resilience plays a buffering role by weakening this relationship. However, the mediating role of workplace meaningfulness was not statistically supported. Additionally, perceived work-related stress was identified as a moderator of the relationship between psychological well-being and creativity. Research limitations/implications While the study is limited by its focus on housekeeping staff in five-star Egyptian hotels. The findings offer practical implications for hotel management, emphasizing the need for organizational resilience and stress management programs to promote employee well-being and creativity. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature of cyberbullying by integrating the general strain theory and conservation of resources theory. It also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).