Fear of future violence at work and job burnout: A diary study on the role of psychological violence and job control

Objective

Using a quantitative diary design, the purpose of this paper is to gain insight in the workplace violence phenomenon by examining whether within-person fluctuations in fear of future violence is linked to within-person levels of burnout. In addition, authors investigated whether this relationship was stronger for those low in job control. Finally, psychological violence was proposed as a cross-level moderator of the relation between fear of future violent events at work and burnout.

Methods

A diary study was conducted among 40 doctors on duty. Participants completed a general questionnaire and a diary booklet (one diary every 10-working days; 40 × 5 = 200 occasions).

Results

Multilevel analyses showed that fear of future violence was linked to emotional exhaustion and cynicism. Job control did not moderate the relationship between fear of future violence and cynicism but moderated the relationship between fear of future violence and emotional exhaustion. In addition, the experience of psychological violence did not moderate the relationships of fear of future violence with either emotional exhaustion or cynicism.

Conclusions

Our findings provided additional evidence that not only being the target of violent behaviors may take an emotional toll. When a worker experiences fear of future violent events at work, he\she tends to experience stronger levels of emotional exhaustion and cynicism. Job control plays a fundamental role, buffering the way that a person perceives workplace conditions and the choice of coping strategy.