Correlations among workplace bullying, work stress, and social support: a meta-analysis with structural equation modeling

Introduction Workplace bullying and work stress not only harm individuals but also adversely affect organizations as a whole. Strengthening social support may mitigate the negative effects of work stress and enhance overall job performance. Existing research has largely focused on relationships between individual variables, with relatively limited attention given to their integrated interactions, particularly in the domestic context, where studies on workplace bullying, work stress, and social support remain insufficient. Methods This study employed meta analysis and structural equation modeling to examine the interrelationships among workplace bullying, work stress, and social support, with the aim of providing more systematically grounded findings and proposing effective response strategies. Results The results indicated a moderate positive correlation between workplace bullying and work stress, r = 0.517, a small negative correlation between workplace bullying and social support, r = 0.210, and a small negative correlation between work stress and social support, r = 0.201. In the observed variable path analysis based on the pooled correlation matrix, workplace bullying was associated with work stress both directly, β = 0.497, and indirectly through reduced social support, β = 0.020, yielding a total effect of β = 0.517. The indirect pathway was modest relative to the direct pathway, indicating that social support functions as a supplementary mechanism in the association between workplace bullying and work stress. Discussion These findings indicate that social support partially accounts for the relationship between workplace bullying and work stress, while the direct pathway remains the predominant channel through which bullying elevates stress. Based on these findings, this study recommends that organizations cultivate a positive work environment, provide psychological support, workplace counseling, and training, strengthen anti bullying policies, and enhance employees’ resilience and stress management skills in order to improve job performance.