IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i14p8419-d859428.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social Undermining and Interpersonal Rumination among Employees: The Mediating Role of Being the Subject of Envy and the Moderating Role of Social Support

Author

Listed:
  • Ying Song

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
    Business School, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
    Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore)

  • Zhenzhi Zhao

    (School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China)

Abstract

Rumination is a common problem and is associated with reduced psychological well-being. However, little is known about how rumination in the workplace is affected by interpersonal relationships. We propose that negative workplace behavior could serve as a potential influencing factor for rumination. Therefore, the current study constructed a multilevel moderated mediation model to investigate the relationship between workplace unit social undermining and interpersonal rumination. We also examined whether unit social support moderated that relationship and whether being the subject of envy mediated that relationship. Survey data were collected from 630 employees in China. The results indicate that: (1) a high level of unit social undermining by either a supervisor or co-workers has a significant positive influence on interpersonal rumination; (2) being the subject of envy exerts a mediating effect between unit supervisor social undermining and interpersonal rumination, as well as between unit co-worker social undermining and interpersonal rumination; and (3) unit social support moderates the associations between unit supervisor/co-worker social undermining and interpersonal rumination. These findings extend the research on rumination to the field of management and interpersonal relationships and emphasize the potential mechanisms of rumination, providing significant guidance for reducing staff rumination and improving psychological well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Ying Song & Zhenzhi Zhao, 2022. "Social Undermining and Interpersonal Rumination among Employees: The Mediating Role of Being the Subject of Envy and the Moderating Role of Social Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8419-:d:859428
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8419/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/14/8419/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Maas, Victor S. & Yin, Huaxiang, 2022. "Finding partners in crime? How transparency about managers’ behavior affects employee collusion," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    2. Olivia H. Tousignant & Sarah W. Hopkins & Abigail M. Stark & Gary D. Fireman, 2021. "Psychological Wellbeing, Worry, and Resilience-Based Coping during COVID-19 in Relation to Sleep Quality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Ayoko, Oluremi B. & Callan, Victor J., 2010. "Teams' reactions to conflict and teams' task and social outcomes: The moderating role of transformational and emotional leadership," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 220-235, June.
    4. Boh, Wai Fong & Wong, Sze-Sze, 2015. "Managers versus co-workers as referents: Comparing social influence effects on within- and outside-subsidiary knowledge sharing," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 1-17.
    5. Yang, Fu & Wen, Deping, 2021. "Combating workplace loneliness climate and enhancing team performance: The roles of leader humor and team bureaucratic practices," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 305-315.
    6. Mao, Zhixin & Duan, Yongrui & Yao, Yuliang & Huo, Jiazhen, 2021. "The moderating effect of average wage and number of stores on private label market share: A hierarchical linear model analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    7. Duffy, Michelle K. & Ganster, Daniel C. & Shaw, Jason D. & Johnson, Jonathan L. & Pagon, Milan, 2006. "The social context of undermining behavior at work," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 105-126, September.
    8. Arnau-Sabatés, Laura & Gilligan, Robbie, 2020. "Support in the workplace: How relationships with bosses and co-workers may benefit care leavers and young people in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    9. Raquel de la Fuente-Anuncibay & Ángela González-Barbadillo & Delfín Ortega-Sánchez & Nuria Ordóñez-Camblor & Juan Pablo Pizarro-Ruiz, 2021. "Anger Rumination and Mindfulness: Mediating Effects on Forgiveness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-15, March.
    10. Neus Zuzama & Aina Fiol-Veny & Josep Roman-Juan & Maria Balle, 2020. "Emotion Regulation Style and Daily Rumination: Potential Mediators between Affect and Both Depression and Anxiety during Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-18, September.
    11. Young-Jae Kim & Seung-Woo Kang, 2021. "An Analysis of the Relationship between the Modified Theory of Planned Behavior and Leisure Rumination of Korean Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-14, January.
    12. Qiong Wang & Ruilin Tu & Yihe Jiang & Wei Hu & Xiao Luo, 2022. "Teasing and Internet Harassment among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Envy and the Moderating Role of the Zhong-Yong Thinking Style," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-15, May.
    13. Desirée Colombo & Silvia Serino & Carlos Suso-Ribera & Javier Fernández-Álvarez & Pietro Cipresso & Azucena García-Palacios & Giuseppe Riva & Cristina Botella, 2021. "The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation in the Recall of Negative Autobiographical Memories," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christian N. Thoroughgood & Katina B. Sawyer & Art Padilla & Laura Lunsford, 2018. "Destructive Leadership: A Critique of Leader-Centric Perspectives and Toward a More Holistic Definition," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 627-649, September.
    2. Li, Teng & Lu, Runjing, 2022. "Social undermining as a dark side of symbolic awards: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    3. Jeffrey D'Silva & Adriana Ortega & Abdul Sulaiman, 2016. "Influence of Personal and Task Interdependence on Task Conflict and Team Effectiveness," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(4), pages 1-95, April.
    4. Maureen L. Ambrose & Darryl B. Rice & David M. Mayer, 2021. "Justice Climate and Workgroup Outcomes: The Role of Coworker Fair Behavior and Workgroup Structure," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 79-99, August.
    5. Wan Jiang & Qinxuan Gu & Thomas Li-Ping Tang, 2019. "Do Victims of Supervisor Bullying Suffer from Poor Creativity? Social Cognitive and Social Comparison Perspectives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 865-884, July.
    6. Booth, Jonathan E. & Shantz, Amanda & Glomb, Theresa M. & Duffy, Michelle K. & Stillwell, Ellie, 2020. "Bad bosses and self-verification: the moderating role of core self-evaluations with trust in workplace management," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 100839, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Ayoko, Oluremi B. & Konrad, Alison M. & Boyle, Maree V., 2012. "Online work: Managing conflict and emotions for performance in virtual teams," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 156-174.
    8. Richard J. Arend, 2021. "The Nefarious Hierarchy: An Alternative New Theory of the Firm," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, February.
    9. Andrea Furlan & Ambra Galeazzo & Adriano Paggiaro, 2019. "Organizational and Perceived Learning in the Workplace: A Multilevel Perspective on Employees’ Problem Solving," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(2), pages 280-297, March.
    10. Jengchung Victor Chen & I-Han Lu & David C. Yen & Andree E. Widjaja, 0. "Factors affecting the performance of internal control task team in high-tech firms," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    11. José L. Ballesteros-Rodríguez & Nieves L. Díaz-Díaz & Inmaculada Aguiar-Díaz & Petra De Saá-Pérez, 2020. "The Role of Leadership in the Management of Conflict and Knowledge Sharing in the Research Groups of a Spanish Public University," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 421-436, June.
    12. Stubbs, Alix & Baidawi, Susan & Mendes, Philip, 2023. "Young people transitioning from out-of-home care: their experience of informal support. A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    13. Maura MacPhee & Li-Lu Chang & Farinaz Havaei & Wen-Shan Chou, 2014. "A Descriptive Account of an Inter-Professional Collaborative Leadership Project," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-27, September.
    14. Siyuan Miao & Abdulkhamid Komil ugli Fayzullaev & Alisher Tohirovich Dedahanov, 2020. "Management Characteristics as Determinants of Employee Creativity: The Mediating Role of Employee Job Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, March.
    15. Mengjie Zhang & Chong Peng & Jianfeng Shu & Yingzi Lin, 2022. "Territorial Resilience of Metropolitan Regions: A Conceptual Framework, Recognition Methodologies and Planning Response—A Case Study of Wuhan Metropolitan Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-22, February.
    16. Matteo Carpi & Claudia Cianfarani & Annarita Vestri, 2022. "Sleep Quality and Its Associations with Physical and Mental Health-Related Quality of Life among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-13, March.
    17. Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Alaa M. S. Azazz & Sameh Fayyad, 2022. "Positive Humor and Work Withdrawal Behaviors: The Role of Stress Coping Styles in the Hotel Industry Amid COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-12, May.
    18. Julia Wyszomirska & Monika Bąk-Sosnowska & Anna Daniel-Sielańczyk, 2023. "Anxious and Angry: Early Emotional Adaptation of Medical Students in a Situational Crisis on the Example of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, January.
    19. Zhu, Yue & Wang, Jie & Chen, Tingting & Crant, Michael J. & Yang, Xiaoling & Li, Chang & Wang, Yongyue, 2024. "Can high performers take charge? The effects of role breadth self-efficacy and hostile interpersonal environment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    20. Francisco Sampaio & Susana Gaspar & César Fonseca & Manuel José Lopes & Teresa Paiva & Lara Guedes de Pinho, 2023. "Sleep Quality between Nurses and the General Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal: What Are the Differences?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-10, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8419-:d:859428. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.