Workplace cyberbullying and interpersonal deviance: roles of depletion and perceived supervisor support

Abstract

With the spread of information communication technologies (ICTs) in the business world, workplace cyberbullying has become a prominent problem alongside traditional face‐to‐face bullying. This research aimed to explore the daily influence of workplace cyberbullying on interpersonal deviance by using an experience sampling method. We collected 750 matched data over 5 consecutive days from 150 full‐time employees working in China. A multilevel analysis was then performed to construct a moderated mediation model. The results showed that daily workplace cyberbullying increased interpersonal deviance by enhancing personal ego depletion. Furthermore, the indirect effect of workplace cyberbullying was stronger when perceived supervisor support was at a low level. This study successfully determined that workplace cyberbullying can result in interpersonal deviance on a daily basis. Our research provides a comprehensive insight into the relationship and dynamics of workplace cyberbullying and interpersonal deviance with practical implications for personnel administration.