Machiavellianism and organizational culture predict workplace mobbing

The article discusses individual and organizational determinants of mobbing. The hypotheses tested link mobbing behaviours with Machiavellianism and characteristics of organizational culture, identified by Cameron and Quinn. Assessment of mobbing was carried out from the perspective of a perpetrator, a bystander, and a victim. Organizational culture characteristics were assessed by the participants. The study sample included 120 people. The analyses showed a positive correlation between Machiavellianism and mobbing behaviours. Experiencing and witnessing acts of mobbing were positively correlated with the hierarchy culture and negatively with the culture of clan and adhocracy. Cluster analysis resulted in identifying three groups of people: those who describe the dominant culture at their workplace as “clan”, “hierarchy”, or “market”. A positive correlation between an employee’s Machiavellianism and the number of mobbing behaviours that a person reported was only found for people employed in organizations with the dominant hierarchy or (and) clan culture. peerReviewed publishedVersion