| dc.description.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. | en_US |
