Resilience as a Moderator of the Effects of Workplace Bullying on Psychological Distress and Sleep Quality Among Information Technology Professionals

Grounded in the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigates the impact of workplace bullying on the psychological and physical well-being of Information Technology (IT) professionals in five major metropolitan cities in India (Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai). Specifically, it examines how workplace bullying increases psychological distress and how this distress subsequently impairs sleep quality, along with the moderating role of resilience in this relationship. Data were collected from 380 Information Technology employees using a structured online questionnaire through a Stratified simple random sampling technique. The sample consisted of full-time IT professionals across various age groups, job levels, and work arrangements. The hypothesized relationships were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that workplace bullying significantly elevates psychological distress and reduces sleep quality. Psychological distress partially mediates the effect of bullying on sleep, while resilience weakens the negative impact of distress on sleep, confirming a conditional mediation model. Theoretically, this study advances COR theory by demonstrating how personal resources such as resilience buffer the loss spirals associated with workplace stressors. Practically, the findings highlight the need for IT organizations to strengthen resilience-building initiatives and implement targeted interventions to reduce bullying and protect employee well-being.