UiS School of Business and Law Research Seminar Study of bullying and burnout

Seminar guest: Yusheng Fu, PhD, Trent Business School

Title: Unravelling the Dynamics: A Four-Wave Longitudinal Study of Bullying and Burnout Using RI-CLPM

• Date: Wednesday, September 25
• Time: 13:30 - 14:30
• Room: Elise Ottesen-Jensens building, EOJ 276/277 and on Teams.
  Please contact Åse Lea on E-mail: ase.lea@uis.no if you would like to follow the seminar on Teams.

Abstract:
Introduction: Previous studies on the longitudinal relation between bullying and burnout have been limited regarding the number of studies, lack of cross-lagged panel designs to investigate reciprocal associations, and lack of generalizability of the samples. Thus, this four-wave cross-lagged study aimed to investigate relationships between bullying and burnout using RI-CLPM.

• Methods: 312 Norwegian workers responded to a self-reported questionnaire at four-time points with a duration of 6 months between the first three measurement waves and 12 months between the last two waves. Associations between variables were examined through structural equation modelling after measurement model comparison and invariance testing. CLPM was also compared with RI-CLPM, demonstrating that RI-CLPM had the best model fit. The Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) offers several advantages over the traditional Cross-Lagged Panel Model (CLPM), particularly in how it handles data and the types of effects it can analyze, The RI-CLPM can separate within-person effects (how changes within an individual over time affect other variables) from between-person effects (differences between individuals), which is a strength.
• Results: Model comparison revealed that the four-dimensional factor model of burnout had the best model fit. Moreover, the longitudinal invariance of bullying and burnout dimensions was demonstrated in line with our assumptions. RI-CLPM indicated that Bullying levels are strongly related to subsequent levels of bullying. Likewise, burnout dimension levels are strongly related to subsequent levels of respective burnout dimensions. Bullying is only related to subsequent lower levels of Mental Distance, but Bullying is not related to the other burnout dimensions or Global burnout. Results demonstrate that Mental distance, Exhaustion and Emotional impairment (not Cognitive impairment) can all increase subsequent levels of Bullying. Moreover, between-level effects demonstrate that individuals in general who experience higher levels of bullying also experience higher levels of burnout dimensions, and vice versa.
• Conclusion: The present study demonstrates reciprocal relationships between bullying and burnout. Within-level effect revealed burnout generally influences bullying more than vice versa. Between-level effects supplement this result, demonstrating stable traits and links between burnout and bullying, independent of time.