Workplace Bullying on Employees’ Intention to Quit: A Study Among Sales Representatives in One of a Leading Sales and Distribution Company in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study has investigated the impact of workplace bullying on employees’ intention to quit from the position of sales representatives in one of the leading sales and distribution companies in Sri Lanka. Further, this study has examined the moderating effect of perceived organizational support on the relationship between the above two variables. This study is quantitative in nature and was carried out by following a deductive approach. The researcher used sixty-three respondents as the sample of the study, selected based on the simple random sampling method. Additionally, data was gathered through a standard pre-tested questionnaire. The first hypothesis was tested using simple linear regression analysis, and it was identified that there was a significant impact of workplace bullying on employees’ intention to quit from the position of sales representatives in this company. Afterwards, the moderating impact of perceived organizational support on the relationship between workplace bullying and employees’ intention to quit was tested, and it was concluded that perceived organizational support is no longer a moderator between these two variables. Thus, hypothesis two was rejected, indicating that these kinds of companies should pay more attention to diminishing bullying attempts that employees experience from their superiors and co-workers rather than focusing solely on promoting supportive organizational attitudes.