Horizontal Workplace Aggression and Coworker Social Support Related to Work-Family Conflict and Turnover Intentions

Horizontal workplace aggression is a workplace stressor that can have serious negative outcomes for employees and organizations. In the current study, hierarchical regression analyses were used to investigate the hypotheses that horizontal workplace aggression has a relationship with turnover intentions, work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict. Coworker social support was investigated as a potential moderator in these relationships. Surveys measuring these constructs were administered to a group of 156 direct-care workers (specifically, certified nursing assistants, or CNAs) in a long-term assisted living facility corporation in the Northwestern United States. Results indicated that horizontal workplace aggression had a significant and positive relationship with work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and turnover intentions, and that coworker social support significantly moderated the relationship between horizontal workplace aggression and work-to-family conflict, though not in the hypothesized direction. No other hypothesized moderations were significant. Potential explanations, practical implications and directions for future research are discussed