From Bystander Silence to Burnout: Serial Mediation Mechanisms in Workplace Bullying

Jale Minibas-Poussard (), Tutku Seckin and Haluk Baran Bingöl
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Jale Minibas-Poussard: Institute of Management Research (IRG, EA2354), Université Paris-Est, 94010 Paris, France
Tutku Seckin: Management Department, Istanbul Medeniyet University, 34000 Istanbul, Turkey
Haluk Baran Bingöl: Global South Research Consortium, Atlanta, GA 30144, USA

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Similarly, workplace bullying is widely recognized as a significant psychosocial stressor and a potentially traumatic experience, frequently associated with various adverse psychological outcomes. Based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model, we conceptualized bullying at work as a demand whose detrimental impacts may be intensified by the actions of bullying bystanders who remain silent. This study investigates the relationship between workplace bullying and burnout, with a specific focus on the mediating roles of bystander silence and perceived stress. Data collected from 239 professionals working in the financial sector indicate that the effect of workplace bullying on burnout is significantly mediated by both bystander silence and perceived stress. The proposed serial mediation model underscores the importance of social and individual-level mechanisms in the development of burnout. These findings suggest that effective interventions aimed at preventing workplace bullying must be grounded in a nuanced understanding of organizational context and social dynamics.

Keywords: burnout; workplace bullying; bystander silence; perceived stress; mobbing; Job Demands-Resources model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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