Psychosomatic model of workplace bullying: Australian and Ugandan schoolteachers

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to examine the psychosomatic model of downward workplace bullying in different cultures. Design/methodology/approach: A cross‐sectional design was used. Participants were teachers in government and non-government high schools in Australia and the Republic of Uganda. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire. Findings: The psychosomatic model is supported for both the Australian and the Ugandan samples. However, the relationship between bullying and physical symptoms is fully mediated by negative affect for the Australian sample but partially mediated for the Ugandan sample. The correlation between bullying and negative affect is stronger for the Australian sample than for the Ugandan sample. Research limitations/implications: The psychosomatic model was extended by including culture as a moderator of the bullying-negative affect relationship. The findings show that the psychosomatic model of workplace bullying is a variform universal. All participants are schoolteachers and the findings may therefore not be generalisable to employees in other occupations. The validity of the findings is questionable as the data are self-reported. The cross-sectional design used precludes any conclusions being made about cause-effect relationships. Future studies should consider other personality dimensions that may influence the psychosomatic model of bullying and the use of a longitudinal design. Practical implications: Downward bullying reduces employee effectiveness because the ensuing negative affect and physical symptoms hamper employees from performing optimally. Furthermore, targets may adopt avoidance strategies, such as absenteeism and turnover, to avoid being bullied. Originality/value: The psychosomatic model of workplace bullying was examined cross-culturally for the first time.