Hershcovis: Predicting Workplace Aggression: A Meta-Analysis Notes

Overview of Workplace Aggression: A Meta-Analysis

  • Authors: M. Sandy Hershcovis, Nick Turner, Julian Barling, Kara A. Arnold, Kathryne E. Dupre´, Michelle Inness, Manon Mireille LeBlanc, Niro Sivanathan
  • Institutions: Queen’s University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Northwestern University
  • Purpose: Conducted a meta-analysis of 57 empirical studies (59 samples) to explore workplace aggression.

Research Questions

  1. Individual & Situational Predictors: What are the predictors of interpersonal and organizational aggression?
  2. Predictors by Target: Are there different predictors for supervisor-targeted and coworker-targeted aggression within interpersonal aggression?
  3. Individual vs. Situational Contributions: What are the relative contributions of individual factors (trait anger, negative affectivity, biological sex) and situational factors (injustice, job dissatisfaction, interpersonal conflict, situational constraints, poor leadership) in predicting aggression?

Definition of Workplace Aggression

  • Conceptualization: Workplace aggression encompasses several forms, including deviance, antisocial behavior, and retaliation.
  • Target Specificity: The tendency to aggress either against an individual within the organization (e.g., yelling at a coworker) or against the organization itself (e.g., damaging equipment).
  • Types of Aggression: Can be categorized as interpersonal (directed at colleagues) or organizational (directed at the organization).
  • Insider-Initiated Aggression: Any behavior by an employee intended to harm an individual or the organization itself (Neuman & Baron, 2005).

Individual Predictors of Aggression

  1. Trait Anger:

    • Defined as the predisposition to respond with hostility (Spielberger, 1991).
    • Strong predictor of workplace aggression (Douglas & Martinko, 2001).
    • Individuals high in this trait perceive situations as frustrating, making them more reactive to provocations.

  2. Negative Affectivity:

    • Reflects tendencies to experience negative emotions like hostility and anxiety (Watson & Clark, 1984).
    • Individuals with high negative affectivity are sensitive to negative events, resulting in increased aggression.

  3. Biological Sex:

    • Mixed findings: Studies suggest men may be more aggressive than women, but context-specific factors can moderate this relationship (McFarlin et al., 2001; Bettencourt & Miller, 1996).
    • The relationship remains exploratory and context-dependent.

Situational Predictors of Aggression

  1. Distributive Injustice:

    • Concerns perceived unfair outcomes; when individuals feel they are under-rewarded relative to others, they might engage in organization-targeted aggression to restore justice (Adams, 1965; Cohen-Charash & Spector, 2001).

  2. Procedural Injustice:

    • Reflects the perceived unfairness of the processes that lead to outcomes (Thibaut & Walker, 1975).
    • Associated more with aggressive acts against the organization due to the nature of process dissatisfaction (Skarlicki & Folger, 1997).

  3. Interpersonal Conflict:

    • Defined as discrepancies between individuals or perceived incompatibilities (Boulding, 1963).
    • Induces stress and may lead to retaliation in the form of aggression, particularly against coworkers (Andersson & Pearson, 1999).

  4. Situational Constraints:

    • Refers to workplace stressors that prevent individuals from achieving goals, leading to frustration and subsequent aggression (Fox & Spector, 1999).
    • Tied to organizational aggression.

  5. Job Dissatisfaction:

    • Defined as a negative affective reaction to one’s job (Spector, 1997).
    • Higher levels of dissatisfaction are linked to aggression directed toward the organization in an attempt to regain control over one’s job (Judge et al., 2006).

Predictors of Supervisor-Targeted vs. Coworker-Targeted Aggression

  • Interpersonal Injustice:
    • Concerns the perceived treatment by supervisors; significantly predicts supervisor-targeted aggression more than coworker-targeted aggression (Bies & Moag, 1986).
  • Poor Leadership:
    • Encompasses various negative supervisor behaviors; a leading predictor of aggression directed towards supervisors (Dupre´, 2003).
    • Comparison of strength between supervisor and coworker predictions shows more significant correlations for supervisors
    • Interpersonal Injustice (r = 0.51 Supervisor; r = 0.18 Coworker)
    • Poor Leadership (r = 0.52 Supervisor; r = 0.16 Coworker).

Methodology

  • Data and Sample: 191 articles on workplace aggression were identified, eventually leading to the retention of 57 studies for the meta-analysis, focusing on enacted aggression.
  • Meta-Analytic Procedures:
    • Analyzed effects of various predictors based on target of aggression and established corrected correlations and confidence intervals.
  • Statistical Analysis: Employing path analysis using LISREL 8.3 to model relationships between predictors and outcomes.

Results

  • Correlates of Aggression: Interpersonal vs. Organizational
    • Trait Anger and Interpersonal Conflict are stronger predictors for interpersonal aggression.
    • Situational Constraints and Job Dissatisfaction are more predictive of organizational aggression.
Comparative Study Findings:
  • Trait Anger: Interpersonal (rc = .43), Organizational (rc = .33)
  • Interpersonal Conflict: Interpersonal (rc = .50), Organizational (rc = .41)
  • Job Dissatisfaction: Organizational (rc = .37), Interpersonal (rc = .18)
  • Situational Constraints: Organizational (rc = .36), Interpersonal (rc = .30)

Conclusion

  • Workplace aggression is influenced by both individual traits and situational contexts.
  • Research indicates the need for a more nuanced approach to understanding the predictors based on specific targets of aggression, suggesting further research to explore a potential interaction between individual and situational variables.
  • Demands clear operational definitions in measuring aggression to enhance predictive accuracy for future organizational studies.