AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY AND WORKPLACE AGGRESSION: WORKAHOLISM AS A POTENTIAL MODERATOR

Abstract

The goal of the current study was to investigate the relationship between occupational category and workplace aggression, as well as the potential moderating influence of workaholism. Work environments are ever-changing and differ between blue- and white-collar employees. The work environment hypothesis emphasizes the role of workplace contextual and environmental factors (e.g., occupational category) on workplace aggression (Salin, 2015). Workaholism was chosen as a potential moderator for this relationship due to its association with increased work stress (Aziz et al., 2010), a correlate of workplace aggression (Glomb, 2002). In the current study, we utilized self-report measures of workplace aggression and workaholism, as well as an analysis participant's job descriptions to determine their occupational category (i.e., blue- or white-collar). The sample consisted of 249 full-time faculty and staff at a large, Southeastern university. Due to a lack of blue-collar representation in the sample, a more exploratory approach was taken with the data outside of testing the relationship between workaholism and workplace aggression. The results indicate a positive relationship between workaholism and workplace aggression. Study limitations, organizational implications, and directions for future research are discussed.