When Trust Breaks: Workplace Bullying and Cynicism among University Staff in Malakand Division

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Workplace Bullying on Employees Cynicism among Faculty members working in different public sector Universities of Malakand Division, KP Pakistan. The study also tested the mediating role of Psychological Contract Breach between Workplace Bullying and Employees Cynicism. Data was collected from 179 Faculty members, teaching in different public sector universities of Malakand Division, through random sampling technique. Workplace bullying was found to have a positive and significant relationship with employees’ cynicism. It was also found that Psychological Contract Breach has a fully mediating effect on the relationship between workplace bullying and employees’ cynicism as shown by the results. The study has its limitations as it was conducted in a single sector and cross sectional method was applied for data collection. To improve the generalizability of the research findings, Future researchers should use a sample size from different sectors with longitudinal research design. Triangulation and others reported measures of the constructs can further enhance the rigor. The findings of the study offer useful insight for the management of public sector Universities to curb the tendency of workplace bullying and its negative consequences.