This study investigated the impact of workplace gossip and backbiting on the mental health and organizational commitment of middle-level civil servants in Uyo, AkwaIbom State. Workplace gossip and backbiting, often disguised as harmless conversation but capable of eroding trust, morale, and psychological well-being, have become pervasive in many public institutions. The study adopted a correlation survey design and involved a sample of 240 middle-level civil servants (125 males and 115 females) drawn from 10 ministries and agencies through multistage random sampling. Three standardized instruments were used for data collection: the Workplace Gossip and Backbiting Scale (α = .86), the Mental Health Inventory–18 (α = .90), and the Meyer and Allen Organizational Commitment Scale (α = .88). Data were analyzed using Pearson product moment correlation and multiple regression at a p-value of 0.05. Workplace gossip and backbiting were both significantly and negatively related to employees’ mental health and organizational commitment. Specifically, workplace gossip was negatively correlated with mental health (r =.44, p < .001) and organizational commitment (r =.39, p < .001), while backbiting was negatively correlated with mental health (r =.48, p < .001) and organizational commitment (r =.42, p < .001). The two predictors jointly accounted for 34% and 29% of the variance in mental health and organizational commitment, respectively. The study concluded that gossip and backbiting constitute serious psychological stressors that undermine employees’ emotional stability and weaken their sense of belonging and loyalty to the organization. It recommended that organizational leaders and human resource departments establish clear communication policies, promote ethical work culture, and organize emotional intelligence and team-building programs to curb interpersonal hostility and strengthen workers’ mental well-being and commitment.
Imbur et al. (Tue,) studied this question.