Workplace violence and mental health of mine workers in North West Province : a mediation study

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the dynamics of workplace violence (bullying, harassment & aggression), and the mediating roles of emotional intelligence and personality traits on mental health of mine workers in Northwest Province (NW), South Africa. The study also assessed the influence of selected demographic variables ( ethnic group affiliation, economic status, educational level, job position, gender, and place of residence) on mental health of mine workers. Method: The study used a cross-sectional quantitative survey design. One thousand five hundred and eighty three mine workers were purposively drawn from nine mine industries in Northwest province with age ranged from 19 to 62 years (median age = 35 years; SD = 9.48 years). Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficients, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Structural Equation Modelling were used to test the stated hypotheses. Results: The results revealed that workplace bullying was significantly and positively correlated with mental health (r = .16, p < .01), workplace harassment with mental health (r = .26, p < .01), conscientiousness with mental health (r = .13, p < .01 ), neuroticism with mental health (r = .13, p < .01), and age with mental health (r = .19, p < .01) respectively. Also, workplace aggression was significantly and negatively related with mental health (r = -.12, p < .01), emotional intelligence was significantly and negatively related with mental health (r = -.31 , p < .01 ), openness to experience was significantly and negatively related with mental health (r = -.07, p < .0 l ), extroversion was significantly and negatively related with mental health respectively. The results further indicated that workplace bullying was significantly and positively correlated with workplace harassment (r = .83, p < .01), and conscientiousness (r = .18, p < .01) respectively. In contrast, workplace bullying was significantly and negatively related with workplace aggression

(r = -.53, p < .01), emotional intelligence (r = -.07, p < .01), extroversion (r = -.08, p < .01), and age (r = -.07, p < .01), respectively. The results also showed that workplace harassment was significantly and negatively correlated with workplace aggression (r = -.64, p < .01), emotional intelligence (r = -.14, p < .01), and extroversion (r = -.09, p < .01), respectively. Also, workplace harassment was significantly and positively related with conscientiousness (r =.08, p < .01). Workplace aggression was significantly and positively related with emotional intelligence (r = .06, p < .01) and extroversion (r = .06, p < .01), respectively. In contrast, workplace aggression was significantly and negatively correlated with conscientiousness (r = -.05, p < .01), respectively. Emotional intelligence was significantly and positively related with openness to experience (r = .47, p < .01), conscientiousness (r = .11 , p < .01), extroversion (r = .43, p < .01), agreeableness (r = .43, p < .01), neuroticism (r = .18, p < .0 1), respectively. There was a significant negative relationship between emotional intelligence and age (r = -.12, p < .01). Emotional intelligence significanty mediated the effect of workplace bullying on mental health (P = -.05, p <.001), conscientiousness significanty mediated the effect of workplace bullying on mental health (P = .05, p <.00 1), agreeableness significanty mediated the effect of workplace bullying on mental health (P = -.01 , p <.001). Openness to experience did not significantly mediate the effect of workplace bullying on mental health (P = -.00, p = ns), extraversion did not significantly mediate the effect of workplace bullying on mental health (P = .01, p = ns), and neuroticism did not significantly mediate the effect of workplace bullying on mental health (P = - .00, p = ns). Emotional intelligence significantly mediated the effect of workplace harassment on mental health (P = .08, p <.001), conscientiousness significantly mediated the effect of workplace harassment on mental health (P = -.03, p <.001), and agreeableness significantly

mediated the effect of workplace harassment on mental health (P = .0 I , p <.001 ). Openness to experience did not significantly mediate the effect of workplace harassment on mental health on mental health (P = .00, p = ns), extraversion did not significantly mediate the effect of workplace harassment on mental health (P = .0 I, p = ns ), and neuroticism did not significantly mediate the effect of workplace harassment on mental health (P = .0 I , p = ns). Emotional intelligence, openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism did not significantly mediate the effect of workplace bullying, workplace harassment and workplace aggression on mental health (P = .0 I , p = ns; p = .00, p = ns; p = .00, p = ns; p = -.00, p = ns; p = .00,p = ns; p = .00,p = ns). Results further showed significant difference among ethnic group affiliation and mental health F(2, 1580) = 6.167, p < .001 , with the mean score of the black miners and coloured mine workers significantly higher than the whites. The mental health of study participants were also significantly different based on their economic status F( 4, 1578) = 12.080, p < .001. Also, educational level of the participants has significant influence on their mental health F( 4, 1578) = 26.181 , p <.001. In addition, job position of the mine workers has significant influence on their mental health F( 4, 1578) = 23 .211 , p < .001. Furthermore, there was a significant gender differences in mental health of mineworkers t(l581) = 4.12, p < .05. Lastly, place of residence has a statistically significant influence on mental health of study patticipants t(l 581) = 4.12, p < .05. Conclusion: Higher levels of workplace violence were significantly and adversely associated with higher frequency of poor mental health. The t outlined moderating variables namely; personality factors and emotional intelligence were also found to considerably mediate the relationship between the two main variables, workplace violence (bullying, harassment and aggression) and mental health. The prevalence of workplace violence was either attenuated or in some cases prevented altogether when one or two of these variables were present. The same applies to the impact on mental health. Mining houses can benefit from implementing tailor-made training programmemes that would help both aggressors and victims of workplace violence. Further interventions with inclusion of more variables are recommended.