When does witnessing patient mistreatment hurt nurses' performance? Gauging the moderation roles of self-concern and other-orientation. Issue 2 (8th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Baranik, Lisa E.; Zhu, Yue; Wang, Mo; Zhuang, Wei
• Is Part Of: Journal of managerial psychology. Volume 37:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 170
• Page End: 185
• Publication Date: 2021-09-08
• Subjects: Witnessing patient mistreatment -- Self-concern -- Other orientation -- Nurses -- Job performance; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; Management -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Psychology, Industrial -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 158.7
• DOI: 10.1108/JMP-05-2020-0279
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0268-3946

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: Research has found that the effects of directly experiencing mistreatment at work are consistently negative; however, results from studies examining employees' reactions to witnessing mistreatment are less consistent. This study focuses on nurses witnessing patient mistreatment in order to examine how third parties respond when witnessing patients mistreating co-workers. We argue that nurses high on other-orientation are less likely to experience emotion exhaustion in the face of witnessing patient mistreatment, whereas nurses high on self-concern are more likely to experience emotional exhaustion. We further argue that the indirect effect of witnessing patient mistreatment on job performance through emotional exhaustion is moderated by other-orientation and self-concern. Design/methodology/approach: We used data collected at two time points, with six months apart, from 287 nurses working in a hospital. The study tests the hypotheses by using multiple regression analyses. Findings: Emotional exhaustion mediated the relationships between witnessing patient mistreatment and two forms of job performance: patient care behaviors and counterproductive work behaviors. Furthermore, other-orientation moderated these indirect relationships such that the indirect relationships were weaker when other-orientation was high (vs. low). Self-concern did not moderate these relationships. Practical implications: Service and care-oriented businesses may protect their employees from the risk of burnout by promoting prosocial orientation among their patient and customer-facing employees. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the detrimental effects of witnessing patient mistreatment on nurses' performance. It also extends the current understanding of why and when witnessing patient mistreatment is related to performance by demonstrating the joint effects of witnessing patient mistreatment and an individual difference construct, other-orientation on employees' performance.