Investigating hospital administrators' experience of workplace mistreatment

This study examines the nature and impact of workplace mistreatment, excluding sexual harassment and physical contact, experienced by administrators of a hospital. Factor analyses show that mistreatment behaviours are reflected by three dimensions: verbal abuse, work obstruction, and emotional neglect. Verbal abuse is regarded as an interpersonal form of mistreatment whereas obstruction and neglect are considered as organizational forms. Administrators reported having experienced organizational mistreatment more frequently than interpersonal mistreatment. We then examined relationships among mistreatment, context support, employee psychological well-being, organizational commitment, work satisfaction, and intent to leave. As predicted, supportive work environments mediate between workplace mistreatment and well-being, commitment and work satisfaction but, surprisingly, not the intention to leave the organization. Implications for healthier and more productive workplaces for hospital administrators are discussed.