linking workplace aggression to employee well-being and work: the moderating role of family-supportive supervisor behaviors (fssb)

The present study examined the moderating effects of family-supportive supervisor behaviors (fssb) on the relationship between two types of workplace aggression (i.e., patient-initiated physical aggression and coworker-initiated psychological aggression) and employee well-being and work outcomes. data were obtained from a field sample of 417 healthcare workers in two psychiatric hospitals. hypotheses were tested using moderated multiple regression analyses. psychiatric care providers’ perceptions of fssb moderated the relationship between patient-initiated physical aggression and physical symptoms, exhaustion and cynicism. in addition, fssb moderated the relationship between coworker-initiated psychological aggression and physical symptoms and turnover intentions. based on our findings, family-supportive supervision is a plausible boundary condition for the relationship between workplace aggression and well-being and work outcomes. this study suggests that, in addition to directly addressing aggression prevention and reduction, family-supportive supervision is a trainable resource that healthcare organizations should facilitate to improve employee work and well-being in settings with high workplace aggression. this is the first study to examine the role of fssb in influencing the relationship between two forms of workplace aggression: patient-initiated physical and coworker-initiated psychological aggression and employee outcomes.