Sensitized or desensitized to bullying? How hostile work climates shape target identification and outcome

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether hostile work climates give rise to sensitizing or desensitizing processes in relation to workplace bullying, and whether exposure to bullying behaviours in such climates amplifies or attenuates subsequent mental health problems. Furthermore, the study examines the role of victimization in explaining how exposure to bullying behaviours translates into mental health outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study was based on a prospective two-wave survey of a national probability sample of Swedish employees with a seven-month interval between measurements (n = 2,024). Findings The results provided clear evidence of desensitization in hostile work climates, with exposure to bullying behaviours associated with attenuated rather than amplified mental health problems. Victimization played a central role in explaining the association between exposure and subsequent mental health problems, and in highly hostile climates the effect was fully mediated by victimization. In less hostile climates, however, partial mediation was observed. Hostile work climates thus appear to foster normalization processes that raise the threshold for self-labelling as bullied, attenuating short-term consequences but risking delayed recognition and more severe long-term outcomes. Originality/value Taken together, these findings provide new knowledge on the mechanisms linking exposure and health, offer a better understanding of how bullying operates in different work environments, and point to the need to address both workplace climate and individual perceptions in future research and interventions.