Impact of workplace bullying on employee outcomes: a study of Indian managerial employees

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of workplace bullying on innovative work behavior and neglect with defensive silence as a mediator. The study further examines if the presence of friendship networks in the workplace can weaken the negative impact of workplace bullying. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through self-report questionnaires from 835 full-time Indian managerial employees working in different Indian organizations. Findings Results revealed that workplace bullying negatively related to innovative work behavior and positively related to neglect. Defensive silence mediated bullying-outcomes relationships and effects of workplace bullying on proposed outcomes were weaker in the presence of high workplace friendship. Research limitations/implications A cross-sectional design and use of self-reported questionnaire data are few limitations of this study. Originality/value The study extended the current research stream of workplace bullying to one of the underrepresented developing Asian countries, India. The study also contributes in terms of its sample characteristics as it covers managerial employees working across different organizations.