Work place violence and negative affective responses: A test of Agnew's general strain theory

Abstract

In an attempt to extend Agnew's (1992) general strain theory to adults in an organizational setting, an analysis of secondary data was conducted to determine how employee mistreatment by co-workers affects performance and well-being. Age, gender, race, education, religion, and ethnic discrimination were utilized as independent variables on outcome measures of negative emotional responses. Furthermore, harassment in the form of insults, sexual advances, threats, and other more subtle forms of mistreatment were employed as predictors of the same dysfunctional responses. Those employees who perceived harassment experienced significantly more negative emotions than those who did not. The theoretical relevance of the findings is discussed in conclusion.