Examining the Factor Structure of Workplace Aggression: Toward a More Parsimonious Model

Abstract

<p>Workplace aggress has attracted considerable research attention during the last decade (Bowling & Beehr, 2006) with a proliferation of constructs including "abusive supervision" (Tepper, 2000), "bulling" (Einarsen & Raknes, 1997L "incivility" (Cortina, Magley, Williams, & Langhout, 2001L and "social undermining" (Duffy, Ganster, & Pagon, 2002), to name a few. Many researchers have focused extensively on one of these above forms of aggression and they have generally argued that "their" form of aggression is unique and thus worthy of independent investigation. However, researchers (e.g., Aquino & Thau, 2009; Fox & Spector, 2005; Hershcovis, in press) have argued that these ostensibly different forms of aggression are more similar than different and that researchers should investigate the factor structure of workplace aggression. Following Hershcovis (in pressL we examine the five constructs noted above (separating social undermining by its supervisor and coworker referent). We briefly define each form of workplace aggression and then propose more parsimonious structural models of workplace aggression.</p><p>This presentation occurred at the Wright State University Campus-Wide Celebration of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities on April 8, 2011</p>