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Prosocial response to client-instigated victimization: the roles of forgiveness and workgroup conflict

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  • Booth, Jonathan E.
  • Park, Tae-Youn
  • Zhu, Luke (Lei)
  • Beauregard, T. Alexandra
  • Gu, Fan
  • Emery, Cécile

Abstract

We investigate forgiveness as a human service employee coping response to client-instigated victimizations and further explore the role of workgroup conflict in (a) facilitating this response, and (b) influencing the relationship between victimization and workplace outcomes. Using the theoretical lens of Conservation of Resources (Hobfoll, 1989), we propose that employees forgive clients—especially in the context of low workgroup conflict. From low to moderate levels of client-instigated victimization, we suggest that victimization and forgiveness are positively related; however, this positive relationship does not prevail when individuals confront egregious levels of victimization (i.e., an inverted-U shape). This curvilinear relationship holds under low but not under high workgroup conflict. Extending this model to workplace outcomes, findings also demonstrate that the indirect effects of victimization on job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intentions are mediated by forgiveness when workgroup conflict is low. Experiment- and field-based studies provide evidence for the theoretical model.

Suggested Citation

  • Booth, Jonathan E. & Park, Tae-Youn & Zhu, Luke (Lei) & Beauregard, T. Alexandra & Gu, Fan & Emery, Cécile, 2018. "Prosocial response to client-instigated victimization: the roles of forgiveness and workgroup conflict," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 85632, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:85632
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arnetz, Judith E. & Arnetz, Bengt B., 2001. "Violence towards health care staff and possible effects on the quality of patient care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 417-427, February.
    2. Karl Aquino & Murray Bradfield, 2000. "Perceived Victimization in the Workplace: The Role of Situational Factors and Victim Characteristics," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(5), pages 525-537, October.
    3. 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.
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    Cited by:

    1. Henry C. Y. Ho & Wai Kai Hou & Kai-Tak POON & Angel N. M. Leung & Joyce L. Y. Kwan, 2023. "Being Virtuous Together: A One-Year Prospective Study on Organizational Virtuousness, Well-Being, and Organizational Commitment," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 521-542, February.
    2. Balaji, M.S. & Jiang, Yangyang & Singh, Gurbir & Jha, Subhash, 2020. "Letting go or getting back: How organization culture shapes frontline employee response to customer incivility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1-11.
    3. Fürstenberg, Nils & Booth, Jonathan E. & Alfes, Kerstin, 2023. "Benefitting or suffering from a paradoxical leader? A self-regulation perspective," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120369, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    client-instigated victimization; forgiveness; workgroup conflict; human service employees;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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