Content uploaded by Dalia Khalid Faeq
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Dalia Khalid Faeq on Sep 13, 2022
Content may be subject to copyright.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCE 11(6)(2022) 264-276
* Corresponding author. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9317-4354
© 2022 by the authors. Hosting by SSBFNET. Peer review under responsibility of Center for Strategic Studies in Business and Finance.
https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v11i6.1943
Impact of resonant leadership in reducing workplace bullying: A case
from Sulaymaniyah chamber of commerce & industry
Dalia Khalid Faeq (a,b)* Kosar Zyad (c) Rawezh Hassan (d)
(a)Ph.D., Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Humanities, and Social Science, Koya University, Koya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
(b,c,d) Business Administration Department, Komar University for Science and Technology, Iraq
A R T I C L E I N F O
Article history:
Received 16 July 2022
Received in rev. form 19 August 2022
Accepted 26 August 2022
Keywords:
Resonant leadership, Workplace
bullying, Employees, Chamber of
commerce and industry
JEL Classification:
O15
A B S T R A C T
This empirical study seeks to examine the impact of resonant leadership characterized by sub-variables
(mindfulness, hope, and compassion) in reducing workplace bullying in the Commerce and Industry
Chamber in Sulaymaniyah City - Kurdistan Region - Iraq. For conducting this study, the data was
collected through primary sources using a survey questionnaire collected data from a population
consisting of (50) employees of the chamber and a sample size consisting of (45) employees. The
obtained data were analyzed using statistical analysis tools by SPSS V.24. The results showed that
resonant leadership has a significant negative impact on workplace bullying. This study recommends
providing the appropriate organizational environment and culture in the workplace that works to
reduce workplace bullying. The outcome of the research shows that the high existence of workplace
bullying, meanwhile using resonant leadership reduces workplace bullying efficiently.
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee SSBFNET, Istanbul, Turkey. This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Introduction
Employees are one of the most important assets in any organization as they can deliver a high quality service performance (Faeq,
2022). As a result, hiring and retention of qualified employees who can have high quality performance is critical for every company
(Faeq et al, 2021). Organizations need to adopt a leadership style that possesses a pool of employees who can contribute to the
organization through positive job outcomes (Hadžiahmetović et al., 2022). When employees are accepted and satisfied at work, this
contributes to people being totally engaged in their employment, which leads to greater performance, including creative performance
(Poturak et al., 2020; Faeq, 2022).
As a relatively emerging leadership style: Resonant leaders by controlling their own and others' emotions sympathize with and inspire
their followers to achieve high levels of performance. (Tiwari &Lenka, 2015) are in harmony with others, think, feel and head towards
their targets in the same way with them. They are emotionally in tune with the people around them (Taner, 2013). This leadership
style differs from other leadership styles in that it emphasizes employees' emotional and social needs in order to encourage and
engage people physically, emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally. (Tiwari & Lenka, 2015). They are aware that fear or anger can
engage people, but this form of activation will not be helpful in the long run, as the employees will feel less valuable, resulting in an
organizational atmosphere in which they will not properly focus on organizational aims. (McKee and Smith, 2006:26).
Resonant leaders connect well with the people, with whom they work, allowing them to work together in harmony and share their
thoughts and feelings about what to do and why to do it. Leaders who can build resonance either naturally or through hard work
develop their emotional intelligence. Therefor this could contribute to found variety of forms of negative workplace phenomena like
workplace bullying, abusive supervision, incivility, harassment, deviance, social undermining and emotional abuse (Zapf, 2004).
Research in Business & Social Science
IJRBS VOL 11 NO 6 (2022) ISSN: 2147-4478
Available online at www.ssbfnet.com
Journal homepage: https://www.ssbfnet.com/ojs/index.php/ijrbs
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
265
Among these, workplace bullying. Workplace bullying can be defined as a gradual process in which negative acts become more
frequent and intense over time, making it more difficult for the target to defend him or her (Faeq, 2021)
Bullying in the workplace has established itself as a major research topic around the world (Akella, 2016). Among every three
employees one of them is exposed to bullying (Dedyna, 2008). Especially, there is a void in current literature regarding the association
between resonant leadership and workplace bullying. Informed by this, current study gauges the impacts of mindfulness, hope, and
compassion on workplace bullying.
Most of the empirical studies in the current literature have dealt with an examination of resonant leadership and work place bullying
have been conducted in non-Asian nations (Rai & Agarwal, 2017). However, understanding these practices in Asian nations is
relevant and significant because there may be differences in rules and regulation and culture when compared with the ones in
developed countries (Kwan, Tuckey, & Dollard, 2014; Akella, 2016). To the best of authors' knowledge, Kurdistan region of Iraq as
one of the Asian countries is not represented by any empirical studies that center on employee’s perceptions of resonant leadership
and work place bullying. With this realization, we use data collected from employees in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
Sulaimaniyah city- Kurdistan Region – Iraq
Most of the studies that are exist in the current literature investigated the consequences of bullying at the employees level (Rai &
Agarwal, 2017: Tangem, 2017) for instance: employee work performance (Devonish, 2013; Robert, 2018), employees behavior
(Naseer et al., 2018) employee wellbeing (Nelson, 2014) ,but little is known about the antecedent that reduce the bulling in the work
place. Accordingly, we treat resonant leadership as independent variable to reduce workplace bullying as dependent variable.
Based on that the primary aim of this study is to analyze resonant leadership manifested by (mindfulness, hope, and compassion) in
workplace bullying in Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sulamania city, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. This objective can be achieved
through the following:
i. To present a framework for resonant leadership (mindfulness, hope, and compassion) and work place bullying. This aims
to clarify the impact of resonant leadership on work place bullying in chamber of Commerce and Industry in city-
Kurdistan Region – Iraq.
ii. To presenting a model of the study system that measures the correlation and effect of resonant leadership on workplace
bullying in chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sula mania city- Kurdistan Region – Iraq.
iii. To provide Recommendations that can be formulated and given by producing outcomes in order to support decision
makers to encourage the resonant leadership in the chamber of Commerce and Industry to reduce and eliminate work
place bullying.
Literature Review
Theoretical and Conceptual Background
Resonant leadership
Resonant leadership is a leadership style where leaders are mindful, optimistic, and show empathy by focusing on the social and
emotional needs of their followers, resulting in positive work outcomes (Boyatzis & McKee, 2013). Resonant leaders express high
level of emotional intelligence and are in tune with their employees’ emotions. They empathize and manage their own and others’
emotions to build cordial relations with each other (Tiwari &Lenka, 2015). Are in harmony with others, think, feel and head towards
their targets in the same way with them. They are emotionally in tune with the people around them (Taner, 2013).
Resonant leaders are aware that their actions have the ability to impact others and use emotional intelligence to guide and help others
(Sadq et al., 2021). The process of influencing the behavior of others to work willingly and enthusiastically, focusing on advancing
them and building strong relationships with supporters in order to achieve predetermined goals (Budur and Poturak, 2021; Ahmed
and Faeq, 2020). Such leaders build empathy and act in accordance with the information they collect through examining challenges
from several angles (Budur and Demir, 2022). They give others hope and encouragement by addressing their emotions and
encouraging them to do their best and work with others (Boyatzis ve McKee, 2005; McKee and Smith, 2006). They've improved in
areas like self-awareness (recognizing their own emotions, understanding their strong sides and limitations), self-management
(controlling their emotions, flexibility, and adaptability), social awareness (empathy, organizational interest, and responsibility), and
relationship management (Boyatzis and McKee, 2005).
Leaders with resonant leadership can create and nurture that environment. They send out their frequency by focusing on why and
how they act, which resonates throughout the business, hit a nerve with people, and unites them behind a common goal.
Great leaders inspire us to perform and innovate in unexpected ways. They accomplish this through a unique relationship with us, in
which they are in tune with us and we with them (Torlak et al., 2021). People who work with effective leaders (leaders who bring
out the best in them) have established what is known as a resonant relationship.
Resonant leaders inspire others by displaying consistent, positive emotions and relationships. This is precisely what we mean when
we say that someone assists us in transforming our organizations. When both the leader and their employees are being genuine, a
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
266
sense of mindfulness is required. Both parties are sincere and feel at ease with one another. Leaders must be transparent and encourage
open communication with employees, particularly during times of transition. For leaders, this means focusing on two-way dialogue
and inspiring others, rather than command and control. A context is required to learn and remember something. Effective leaders
remind others of the organization's mission on a regular basis. This is the reason the organization exists, not a goal or strategy.
Resonant leaders keep reminding us of that purpose - and when that purpose is big and noble, it makes others feel valued and gives
them hope for the future. It is critical to remind employees of the reasons for change and to bring them along on the transformation
journey when undergoing transformation.
While we are tramping through the mud and muck of day-to-day challenges during a change effort, we need the big picture to provide
direction, focus our attention, and provide hope. Compassion, caring, and understanding are characteristics of resonant relationships.
Employees who develop trust in their boss are more likely to accept and contribute to the transformation. Simply put, when we
believe someone cares about us, we tend to reciprocate. This mutuality ensures that everyone feels safe even as they engage in new
and sometimes risky activities.
The positive emotional attractor should always be the starting point for performance improvement and development. To get people
to improve, especially when it comes to building a culture of conversion, ask them to consider what they truly want from people's
lives and coach them to make that vision a reality. Positively frame the problem or event, or highlight an individual's strengths. Others
are more aware of the possibilities recommended when they are coached with compassion, and they will emotionally engage with
each other. Motivating employees to bring their talents to work is crucial for organizational transformation success (Mohammed et
al., 2020). Leaders should draw pleasant feelings patterns through their own perception, dreams, and memorable or influential
personal experiences in order to be sustainable. Only then should leaders begin to shine and infect others (Torlak et al., 2020). In
general, leadership can be explained as the method of directing a set of people or followers toward the achievement of common goals
(Northouse, 2010:12).
Leadership, like so many other theories, is influenced by our world's rapid change. It is unavoidable for leaders to change and hold
different perspectives than before, especially when global capitalism affects as in almost every aspect of our lives; when
environmental change is felt deeply at all levels of an organization; when innovation stands out; and when efficient and effective use
of information and human resources is strategic. From this perspective, the relationship between leaders and followers is becoming
more complex, as it is critical for organizations to benefit from their employees' knowledge, skill, and talent (Demir et al., 2021).
However, for the reasons stated, leadership cannot be reduced to simply influencing and directing people. Employees, like leaders,
are evolving: their knowledge, skills, and talents are expanding, causing their demands to transform. They are obsessed with success,
and they expect even more from their professions. They are dedicated not only to their own organizations, and even to their
careers.Their view of management has shifted significantly from before. One of these novel strategies is "resonant leadership," which
is associated with the concept of emotional intelligence. Mindfulness, hope, and compassion are three aspects of resonant leadership
that will be explained in the following.
Actually, it is possible to believe that all leaders must obtain some of these characteristics. However, what separates resonant leaders
from others is their ability to use these through emotional intelligence (Lutzo, 2005). Everybody experiences terrible situations
throughout their lives, including losing a loved one, natural disasters, financial difficulties, illness, or workplace issues like shrinking
(Madden, Duchon, Madden and Plowman, 2012:689; Lilius et al., 2008:193; Frost, 1999:128). People carry their sorrow and sadness
with themselves everywhere they go, despite the expectation that they not bring their emotions to work. The current world's
transformation has an impact on leadership. One can anticipate the emergence of novel leadership paradigms in this situation.
Resonant leadership, which would be founded on emotional intelligence, is one of these creative ideas. A resonant leader uses his
emotional intelligence to connect with others. In this study, a model is built after a thorough investigation of the relationship between
resonant leadership and compassion, one of its dimensions. The model identifies the criteria that must exist before resonant
management and leadership compassion can emerge in the presence of all pertinent factors. It should be noted, nevertheless, that the
research on these topics is quite recent. As a result, this model might need to be updated in light of forthcoming studies. The study's
goal was to draw attention to the ideas of organizational compassion and resonant leadership. Given that these ideas are crucial for
the effective operation of organizations, it is suggested from this point of view that there is a significant have to operate on the impact
of organizational kindness and resonant leadership upon the organizational context, organizational citizenship, organizational
commitment, and on many other organizational problems.
Sub variables of resonant leadership
In their study, Boyatzis and McKee concluded that three concepts are needed to ensure and sustain resonance. These concepts are
mindfulness, hope, and compassion. (Taner,2013).
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is defined as living a life in which one is fully aware of oneself, others, the environment, and one's work. Indeed, it
entails having a clear perception of oneself and the environment around us, or "being awake and aware." (Boyatzis and McKee,
2005). Which is a type of acceptance and commitment therapy that aims to help people develop and increase their psychological,
emotional, and behavioral flexibility hence emphasizing the importance of mental health (Giraud et al., 2021)? Thus, mindfulness
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
267
implies liberation from rigid mindsets and mental schemas, as well as illusionary constraints and a false sense of 'ego,' all of which
are intimately tied to the conception of the global mindset (Chandwani et al., 2016).
Hope
As a personality trait, the term "hope" refers to a successful goal-oriented determination (agency) and strategy to achieve these
objectives (Karatepe, 2014). Which is related to “the study and application of positively oriented human resource strengths and
psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed for performance improvement” (Luthans,
2002,).While attempting to achieve our goals, hope allows us to believe that they are attainable and to motivate and inspire others to
do the same (Boyatzis and McKee, 2005). In this way, it is possible to be hopeful and motivating in the ever-changing commercial
world. People may fantasize about a better and more attainable future, believe they can achieve it, and create a positive outlook (Zaim
et al., 2020).
Compassion
Being moved by others' pain the empathetic way of relating with the other in pain and deeply sensed empathetic association through
which people are internally forced to respond to other's pain in order to reduce it (Banker& Bhal, 2017). By comprehending others'
wishes and needs, compassion allows people to engage their emotions in the process of thinking, choosing, and acting. They
empathize by imagining themselves in the shoes of others. When faced with challenges or opportunities, one of the traits of resonant
leaders is to treat both those they serve and those who serve them with empathy and compassion (Boyatzis and McKee, 2005).
Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying can be defined as “regular and importunate psychological harassment involving condemnation and humiliation”
(Gardner and Johnson, 2001). Can be considered as one of the “toxins” human resource personnel (HRP) are expected to manage
and resolve (Frost, 2003; Kulik et al., 2009; Cowan and Fox, 2015). Bullying at work means harassing, offending, socially excluding
someone or negatively affecting someone’s work tasks. In order for the label bullying to be applied to a particular activity, interaction
or process, it has to occur repeatedly and regularly (e.g., weekly) and over a period of time (e.g. about six months). Bullying is an
escalating process in the course of which the person confronted ends up in an inferior position and becomes the target of systematic
negative social acts. A conflict cannot be called bullying if the incident is an isolated event or if two parties of approximately equal
“strength” are in conflict (Einarsen et al., 2011). There are two key distinguishing features of bullying:
i. Persistency (repetition and duration) and power disparities (Hershcovis, 2011). Workplace bullying is a gradually evolving
process (Einarsen, 2000) in which negative acts become more frequent and intense over time, whereby the target finds it
increasingly difficult to defend him/herself (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Cooper, 2011).
ii. Representative behaviors include excessive workloads, persistent monitoring of work, personal jokes, gossip, insulting
remarks and threats (Parzefall & Salin, 2010; Stouten et al., 2010).
Workplace bullying constitutes repeated and persistent negative actions aimed at one or more individuals, which results in the creation
of a hostile working environment. “Bullying involves a desire to hurt, hurtful action, power imbalance, (typically) repetitive aggressor
and a sense of being oppressed by the victim” (Rigby, 2002).
Workplace bullying can be defined as repeated hurtful negative act or acts (physical, verbal, or psychological intimidation) that
involve criticism and humiliation to cause fear, distress, or harm to the individual (i.e., victim), Workplace bullying is when your
employer (or management), another person, or a group of people at work verbally, physically, socially, or psychologically abuses
you. Any sort of workplace can experience bullying, including workplaces, retail establishments, dining establishments, workshops,
community centers, and governmental agencies.
Volunteers, interns, work-study students, apprentices, casual and permanent employees are all susceptible to bullying at work making
fun of your job or you as a person, or making repeated harsh statements or attacks (including your family, sex, sexuality, gender
identity, race or culture, education or economic background) sexual harassment, in particular unwanted physical contact and sexually
explicit remarks and requests that are upsetting excluding you from work or preventing you from participating in activities related to
your job playing mind games with you, ganging up on you, or engaging in other forms of psychological harassment intimidation
(making you feel less important and undervalued) assigning you worthless duties unrelated to your employment giving you tasks that
are impossible to do within the allotted time or with the available resources.
Pushing, shoving, tripping, or snagging you in the workplace. Trying to attack or threatening with machinery, knives, guns, clubs, or
other parts of objects that can be transformed into a weapon. Initiation or hazing, where you are forced to do embarrassing or improper
things in order to be admitted as a member of the team.
Health Risks
Workplace bullying can have a range of negative effects. Research on bullying in the workplace quantifies the personal consequences
for the victim and fiscal consequences that affect the company's bottom line. The effects of workplace bullying don't end when you
leave the office. Being a victim of bullying can cause physical and psychological health problems, including:
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
268
i. Higher blood pressure
ii. Mood changes
iii. Panic attacks
iv. Stress
v. Ulcers
vi. Worry
People who are bullied at work may also experience other physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and changes in
appetite. It can also impact sleep quality and duration.
Effect on Job Performance
Bullied workers cannot perform their jobs to the best of their ability. Performance issues include:
i. An incapacity to work or concentrate
ii. A loss of self-esteem
iii. Having trouble making decisions
iv. Lower productivity
v. Bullied workers not only lose motivation, they lose time because they are preoccupied with:
a. Avoiding the bully
b. Networking for support
c. Planning how to deal with the situation
d. Ruminating about the situation
e. Trying to defend themselves
Workplace bullying has detrimental effects on employers, not just the victim and their co-workers who witness it. In addition to
disrupting the work environment and impacting worker morale it can also:
Create a hostile work environment
Impact workers compensation claims
Promote absenteeism
Reduce productivity
Result in costly, and possibly embarrassing legal issues
Other costly effects on the employer include:
i. Additional costs to recruit and train new employees
ii. Erosion of employee loyalty and commitment
iii. Increased use of sick leave, health care claims, and staff turnover4
iv. Increased risk of legal action
v. Poor public image and negative publicity
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
269
Table 1: Empirical studies for resonant leadership
Study
number
1
2
3
4
5
Name of
researcher
(year)
(Braies, 2020)
(Alii, Kashif 2020)
(Parr, Teo, McLain
2020)
(Asghar, Oino
2018)
(Hassa, Qureshi,
2019)
Place of
study
Karbala, Iraq
Pakistan
Urban New Zealand
UK
Pakistan
sample size
Respondents' (n =
70)
Respondents' (n = 442)
Respondents' (n =
252)
Respondents' (n
=270)
Respondents' (n =
200)
Aim
This research
aims to determine
the impact of
resonant
leadership in
support strategic
supremacy. In
order to achieve
these two
variables have
been adopted
which are
resonant
leadership as a
one-dimensional
variable and the
dimensions of
strategic
supremacy
This study aims to
empirically
demonstrate the
positive effects of
resonant leadership,
workplace friendship
and serving culture on
organizational
commitment through a
mediating role of
compassion at work.
The aim of this study
was to explore the
effects of resonant
leadership,
leader/member
exchange
relationships and
perceived
organizational
support on work
engagement and
unit-level patient
outcomes.
The study that
transformational
leadership style
has a positive
effect on job
satisfaction,
whereas
transactional
leadership style
has an
insignificant
effect on job
satisfaction.
Therefore, it
can be argued
that the
transformational
leadership style
is more eff
active in the
retail sector of
Slough
his research aims to
address this issue by
investigating how
resonant leadership
influences
employees’ attitude
at workplace.
Result
First, Resonant
leadership has
become a
necessity and
commitment for
organizations, for
their contribution
to ensuring the
achievement of
strategic
supremacy, by
influencing the
behavior and
performance of
employees.
Second, there is a
relationship of
direct effect
between resonant
leadership and
strategic
supremacy at the
University of
Karbala,
First, theoretically, we
only took into
consideration resonant
leadership as a
leadership style to
study compassion at
work.
Second, we consider
the positive role of
friendship at work in
this study. However,
from a critical
perspective, friendship
at work can also affect
healthcare service
performance by
distracting the attention
of nurses and other
frontline staff while
serving patients.
First, Engagement
and its antecedents
have positive effects
on perceptions of
unit care quality,
falls rates and
Friends and Family
Test.
Second, A strength
of the current study
was the use of
institutional data to
evaluate the quality
of care being
provided as the
predominant
approach in the
literature was to
investigate nurse-
sensitive indicators
using nurse reported
exposure to adverse
events.
First, The
inspirational
motivation
dimension of
transformational
leadership
suggests that
transformational
leaders motivate
and inspire their
subordinates to
complete
challenging
assignments by
sharing their
vision and
strategies with
employees.
Second, Past
research has
argued that this
leadership style
may not be
effective in all
situations.
First, Resonant
leaders’ positive
influence on
employees’ moods
and emotions is
translated into their
work domain which
results in increased
job satisfaction.
Second, as outlined
by social exchange
theory, employees
tend to maintain the
equilibrium of social
exchange in response
to positive emotional
treatment from their
leaders.
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
270
Table 2: Empirical studies for reducing workplace bullying
Study
number
1
2
3
4
5
Name of
researcher
(year)
(Coetzee,
Ousthuizen,
2017)
(Eldeen, Barakat,
Dar, 2017)
(Nauman, Malik,
Jalil,
2019)
(Rai, Agarwal,
2017)
(Naseer, Raja, Syed,
Bouckenooghe, 2018)
Place of
study
South Africa
Egypt
Pakistan
India
Pakistan
sample size
Respondents' (n =
1373)
Respondents' (n
=175)
Respondents' (n
=211)
Respondents' (n =
834)
Respondents' (n = 873)
Aim
This study
investigated
work-role
psychological
flourishing
effects on
workplace
bullying and job
turnover.
The main aim of
the study was to
determine the
impact of
workplace
bullying on
employees’
morale,
performance and
turnover
intentions.
this study
examined the
underlying
mechanism
through which
workplace
bullying (WB)
affects employees’
life satisfaction
via job-related
anxiety and
insomnia.
The present study
aims to examine
PCV as a mediator
in bullying–work
engagement
relationship.
Specifically,
drawing on Social
Exchange Theory
This research examines
the detrimental effects
of workplace bullying
as a social stressor on
employees’ job
performance,
organizational
retaliatory behaviors,
and organizational
citizenship behaviors
and how the availability
of support can reduce
the negative impact of
bullying.
Result
Firstly, The
results provided
evidence in
support of the
study’s research
hypothesis by
showing that
although strong
perceptions of
workplace
bullying was
related to high
turnover intention
Secondly,
psychosocial
flourishing had a
potential
intervening
(indirect) effect
by partially
explaining lower
levels of turnover
intent
Firstly, people
who are working
in the hospitality
industry are highly
affected by
bullying acts.
Secondly, bullying
acts have a
negative impact
on employees’ job
performance due
to the stressful
working
atmosphere for
and the creation of
job dissatisfaction
and consequently
the loss of
productivity for
the organization.
Firstly, we have
demonstrated that
workplace
bullying is a
significant stressor
that causes
resource losses at
multiple levels
with spill- overs
from one resource
to the other.
Secondly,
workplace
bullying
significantly
reduces life
satisfaction and
the effect is
indirectly
mediated by
anxiety and
insomnia.
Firstly, we found
that PCV partially
mediated
bullying–work
engagement
relationship.
Secondly,
suggests that there
are some other
underlying
mechanisms in the
bullying–work
engagement
relationship and
that PCV is an
important
additional
underlying
mechanism
linking workplace
bullying with
engagement.
Firstly, stressful
situations are more
likely to result in
resource depletion,
whereas resources help
individuals cope with
these demands and
diminish the likelihood
of negative outcomes
Secondly, the
relationship between
bullying and OCBs was
positive when POS was
high, suggesting that
those perceiving high
organizational support
are likely to exhibit
more OCBs when
bullying occurs.
The benefit of the above empirical studies
The benefit of this table for research is more to find variables and resources because there are some resources we accessed through
this table as well as taking advantage of the statistics used. However, after a long search for resonant leadership we understood that
there are plenty of researches regarding this topic which shows that our topic is an interesting topic and we benefited from this table,
one of the benefits was that through these articles we gained more and more knowledge about resonant leadership and workplace
bullying which we could use to complete our research. Our difference with this article is that we used different variables and statistics,
and many more differences
Research and Methodology
Research design
A survey questionnaire was used to collect primary data in order to complete the practical aspect of the study. The first section of the
questionnaire contains the demographic information of the respondents as shown in Table 3 The second section contains (10)
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
271
questions related to the study independent variable (resonant leadership). Finally (21) questions related to study dependent variable
(workplace bullying).
A five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) was used. The Back translation method was also
used to translate the questionnaire from English to Kurdish and Arabic. SPSS V. 24 was used to test the hypothesis and examine the
relationships between variables like leaner modeling (GLM) such as ANOVA or multiple regressions can be applied.
Table 3: Design of Questionnaires and References
Parts
Main Variables
Sub Variables
References
Number of Items
First
Personal demographic
Gender
By researchers
2
Martial Statues
3
Age
5
Education
5
Experiences
7
Second
Resonant leadership
Mindfulness
Bawafaa, 2014
3
Hope
3
Compassion
4
Third
Workplace bullying
NA
Razzaghian and Ghani,
2014
21
Sample Size and Data Collection
The target population of the current study consists of all employees work in Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sulaimaniyah
city- Kurdistan Region – Iraq. At the time of conducting this study, there were employees as appeared in appendix no (1).
questionnaires were distributed among employees out of which a total of were usable.
In order to avoid bias, the following steps were taken: firstly, informing questionnaire receivers by telephone, or a face to face
conversation (Sadikoglu & Olcay, 2014). Secondly, sending questionnaires with a cover letter and using a face to face method for
data collection (Baye & Raju, 2016; Budur et al., 2019). Thirdly, obtaining the response after one month vis a face-to-face meetin
Hypothesis
H: Resonant leadership has a negative significant effect on work place bullying.
H1a: Mindfulness has a negative significant effect on work place bullying.
H1b: Hope has a negative significant effect on work place bullying.
H1c: Compassion has a negative significant effect on work place bullying.
Analysis and Findings
Coding of variables, dimensions and items
Coding is a process used to clarify the translation of respondent information and question responses to specific categories for the
analysis procedures (Kerlinger & Lee, 2000). Therefore, the coding of variables, dimensions and items is shown in the Table 4.
Table 4: Coding of Variables, Dimensions and Items
Variable
Variable Code
Dimension
Dimension Code
Numbers
of Items
Resonant Leadership
RL
Mindfulness
M
3
Help
H
3
Compassion
C
4
Workplace Bullying
WB
------------
------------
2
Profile of respondents
According to a random sampling procedure, data for the study was collected from employees in Sulaymaniyah Chamber of
Commerce & Industry in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The researcher distributed 50 questions, but just 45 questions were returned.
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
272
it appears that most of the respondent (71.1%) are male and their ages are between 36 to 45 years old as well as they are 71.1% of
the respondents have a bachelor’s degree.
Dimensionality of the measurement instrument using exploratory factor analysis
Before further tests were performed, the construct was subjected to validity and reliability tests. Factor analysis was carried out to
test the construct of the questionnaires. Basically, the purpose is “to identify small number of themes, dimensions, components or
factors underlying a relatively large set of variables” (Meyers et al., 2006). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is an interdependence
technique which primary purpose is to define the underlying structure among the variables in the analysis (Hair et al., 2017).
Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Resonant leadership
Based on SPSS V.24 results, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy at 0.897 indicates that factor analysis
can be conducted on the data. Moreover, Bartlett test of Sphericity was very large significant at 2 = 238.508, with a p < .000. The
following Table 5 shows the results.
Table 5: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin of the Resonant Leadership (n=45)
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.
.897
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Approx. Chi-Square
238.508
df
45
Sig.
.000
Furthermore, the outputs of Table 6 showed all ten items were known as an accurate tool to measure resonant leadership. The ten
items were known as an accurate tool to measure this variable, then conducted to determine which items should group to form
dimensions. They were grouped in three dimensions.
Table 6: Exploratory Factor Loadings of the Resonant Leadership (n=45)
Item
Component
1
2
3
M1
.634
M2
.892
M3
.585
H1
.766
H2
.625
H3
.533
C1
.522
C2
.751
C3
.779
C4
.593
Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Workplace Bullying
Based on SPSS V.24 results, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy at 0.876 indicates that factor analysis
can be conducted on the data. Moreover, Bartlett test of Sphericity was very large significant at 2 = 907.784, with a p < .000. The
following Table 7 shows the results.
Table 7: Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin of the Workplace Bullying (n=45)
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.
.876
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Approx. Chi-Square
907.784
df
210
Sig.
.000
Furthermore, the outputs of Table 8 showed all twenty-one items were known as an accurate tool to measure workplace bullying.
The twenty-one items were known as an accurate tool to measure this variable, and then conducted to determine which items should
group to form dimensions.
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
273
Table 8: Exploratory Factor Loadings of the Workplace Bullying (n=45)
Item
Component
WB1
.538
WB2
.709
WB3
.834
WB4
.806
WB5
.607
WB6
.610
WB7
.780
WB8
.795
WB9
.593
WB10
.735
WB11
.613
WB12
.770
WB13
.824
WB14
.778
WB15
.590
WB16
.716
WB17
.811
WB18
.748
WB19
.560
WB20
.508
WB21
.748
Reliability of the measurement instrument
Reliability of a measure indicates the extent to which it is without bias (error-free), thus ensures measurement consistency across
times and various items in the instrument. Reliability is a measure indicating the stability and consistency with which the instrument
measures the concepts and helps to assess the “goodness” of a measure (Hair et al., 2017). According to (Sekaran & Bougie, 2016),
Cronbach’s alpha can be considered a perfectly adequate index of the interim consistency reliability. It is considered that above 0.70
is acceptable. Table 9 summarizes the values of alpha for all variables in this research which are well above the 0.70 value using
SPSS v24.
Table 9: Reliability Test Results of the Measurement Instrument (n=45)
Variable
Dimension
Cronbach’s alpha Value ≥ .70
Resonant Leadership
Mindfulness
.79
Help
.79
Compassion
.80
Workplace Bullying
-----------
.90
As shown in Table 9, the results showed a very good level for the strength of association among the items. Thus, the variables in
perceived usefulness showed the high level of internal consistency reliability.
Hypotheses testing
correlation analysis
In this research, the correlation between variables has been examined between the independent variables using Pearson correlation
as shown in Table 10.
Table 10: Pearson Correlations for Independent Variable and Dependent Variable
Table 10 shows that indicate that there is a negative and significant relationship between resonant leadership and workplace bullying
with a correlation of (-0.814). In addition, there is a negative and significant relationship between mindfulness and workplace bullying
with a correlation of (-0.746). Moreover, it can be seen in Table 3.15 that hope is negatively significant correlated with workplace
bullying with a correlation of (-0.700). Finally, the results show that there is a negative and significant relationship between
compassion and workplace bullying with a correlation of (-0.781).
RL
WB
M
H
C
RL
1
WB
-.814-**
1
M
.897**
-.746-**
1
H
.933**
-.700-**
.794**
1
C
.913**
-.781-**
.694**
.778**
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
274
Hypotheses testing using regression analysis
Regression analysis is also undertaken in this study to determine if the variance in the dependent variable is explained by a set of
independent variables. The direct effect hypotheses are as shown below.
H: The resonant leadership has a negative and significant effect on workplace bullying.
H1a: The mindfulness has a negative and significant effect on workplace bullying.
H1b: The hope has a negative and significant effect on workplace bullying.
H1c: The compassion has a negative and significant effect on workplace bullying.
The result in Table 11 shows a negative and significant effect of resonant leadership on workplace bullying (t = -9.204, p > .01). The
result suggests that workplace bullying is expected to decrease when the resonant leadership has a beta value equals to -.870.
Therefore, hypothesis (H1) is supported.
Table 11: Results of Linear Regression between Resonant Leadership and Workplace Bullying
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t
Sig.
B
Std. Error
Beta
1
(Constant)
.480
.334
1.437
.158
RL
.870-
.095
.814-
9.204-
.000
a. Dependent Variable: WB
Moreover, the result in Table 12 shows a negative and significant effect of mindfulness on workplace bullying (t = -7.356, p > .01).
The result suggests that workplace bullying is expected to decrease when the mindfulness has a beta value equals to -.705. Therefore,
hypothesis (H1a) is supported.
Table 12: Results of Linear Regression between Mindfulness and Workplace Bullying
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t
Sig.
B
Std. Error
Beta
1
(Constant)
1.157
.327
3.539
.001
M
.705-
.096
.746-
7.356-
.000
a. Dependent Variable: WB
In addition, the result in Table 13 shows a negative and significant effect of hope on workplace bullying (t = -6.428, p > .01). The
result suggests that workplace bullying is expected to decrease when the help has a beta value equals to -.652. Therefore, hypothesis
(H1b) is supported.
Table 13: Results of Linear Regression between Hope and Workplace Bullying
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t
Sig.
B
Std. Error
Beta
1
(Constant)
1.214
.364
3.336
.002
H
.652-
.101
-.700
6.428-
.000
a. Dependent Variable: WB
Finally, the result in Table 14 shows a negative and significant effect of compassion on workplace bullying (t = 8.196, p > .01). The
result suggests that workplace bullying is expected to decrease when the compassion has a beta value equals to -.814. Therefore,
hypothesis (H1c) is supported.
Table 14: Results of Linear Regression between Compassion and Workplace Bullying
Model
Unstandardized Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t
Sig.
B
Std. Error
Beta
1
(Constant)
.598
.361
1.660
.104
C
.814-
.099
-.781
8.196-
.000
a. Dependent Variable: WB
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
275
Conclusion
The concluding part of the research contributes to the research on workplace bullying by advancing the understanding of
organizational factors that can influence bullying at work. It also discovers the relationship between resonant leadership and
workplace bullying and that bullying behavior is considered very influential and effective behavior in the workplace. The result
suggests that for the Sulaimaniyah chamber of commerce and industry to capitalize and benefit from positive workplace behavior,
companies need to assess their capacities to absorb the positive behavior and their internal abilities to eliminate bullying. Resonant
leadership requires a high level of emotional intelligence. The effort to engage employees in learning activities for further
improvement activities of the chamber leads to making workplace behaviors positive. Only through the through-continuous positive
behavior can improve the chamber’s ability to be more successful.
This research recommends that working to provide all incentives, whether material or moral, that would reduce workplace bullying
in the workplace and providing the appropriate organizational environment and culture in the workplace that works to reduce
workplace bullying while also looking for the reasons that led to the emergence of such behavior that works to create a negative work
environment. Bullying should be eradicated at every organizational level, and the chamber should support a resonant leadership style;
otherwise, bullying may increase. The chamber should develop policies and procedures that reflect its vision, values, and culture, as
well as the needs of its employees.
Acknowledgement
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data Collection, Formal Analysis, Writing—Original Draft Preparation, Writing—Review
And Editing by authors with equal participation. All authors have read and agreed to the published the final version of the manuscript.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Ethical review and approval were waived for this study, due to that the research does not deal with
vulnerable groups or sensitive issues.
Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly
available due to privacy.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
Ahmed, Y. A., & Faeq, D. K. (2020). An economic Evaluation of training and its Effect on employee performance in Building
Construction Directory of Sulaimani province–Kurdistan region. Qalaai Zanist Journal, 5(2), 1048-1068.
https://doi.org/10.25212/lfu.qzj.5.2.30
Arpana Rai, A. R., & Upsna A Argawal, U. A. A. (2017). Linking Workplace Bullying and Work Engagement: The Mediating
Role of Psychological Contract Violation. https://doi.org/10.1177/2322093717704732
Banker, D. V., & Bhal, K. T. (2017). Understanding Compassion From Practicing Managers–Frameworks for Virtuous and Vicious
Factors in Business Organizations. In BAM2017 Conference Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150917749279
Bawafaa, E., Wong, C. A., & Laschinger, H. (2015). The influence of resonant leadership on the structural empowerment and job
satisfaction of registered nurses in Canada. Journal of Research in Nursing, 20(7), 610-622.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987115603441
Binita Tiwari, & Usha Lenka. (2015). Building and branding talent hub: An outlook. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0955-
6419.2006.00394.x
Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2006). Inspiring others through resonant leadership. Business Strategy Review, 17(2), 15–19.
https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20311
Budur, T., & Demir, A. (2022). The relationship between transformational leadership and employee performance: Mediating
effects of organizational citizenship behaviors. Iranian Journal of Management Studies.
Budur, T., & Poturak, M. (2021). Employee performance and customer loyalty: Mediation effect of customer satisfaction. Middle
East Journal of Management, 8(5), 453-474.
Budur, T., Faraj, K. M., & Karim, L. A. (2019). Benchmarking operations strategies via hybrid model: A case study of café-
restaurant sector, 8, 842–854.
Carol Kulik, & Isabel Metz. (2009). HR managers as toxin handlers: The buffering effect of formalizing toxin handling
responsibilities. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21760
Chandwani, R., Agrawal, N. M., & Kedia, B. L. (2016). Mindfulness: Nurturing global mind‐set and leadership in Canada.
Thunderbird International Business Review, 58(6), 617-625. https://doi.org/10.12927/cjnl.2004.17019
Christine S., Jones, N., Vanle, B., Au, M., Huang, A. Y., Silva, A. P., ... & Pierson, T. M. (2020). GATAD2B-associated
neurodevelopmental disorder (GAND): clinical and molecular insights into a NuRD-related disorder. Genetics in Medicine,
22(5), 878-888. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41436-019-0747-z
Cummings, G. (2004). Investing relational energy in USA: The hallmark of resonant leadership, Nursing Leadership (Toronto,
Ont.), 17(4), 76– 87, https://doi.org/10.12927/cjnl.2004.17019
Daniel Goleman, & Richard E Boyatiz. (2002). Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.
https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-01-2013-0004
Faeq et al., International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science 11(6) (2022), 264-276
276
Demir, A., Budur, T., Hiwa, M., & Heshmati, A. (2021). Links between Knowledge Management and Organizational
Sustainability: Does the ISO 9001 certification have an effect? Knowledge Management Research & Practice (TKMR),
https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2020.1860663
Devi Akella, D. V. (2016). Workplace Bullying Kurdistan, Iraq
Devonish, D. (2013). Workplace bullying, employee performance and behaviors: The mediating role of psychological well-being.
Employee relations, 35(6), 630-647. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-01-2013-0004
Emmanuela Gakidou. (2014). Global, regional and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults in
Germany 1980–2013: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01081
Faeq, D. K. (2022). The Effect of Positive Affectivity on Creative Performance Mediating by Quality of Work Life. Qalaai Zanist
Journal, 7(1), 862-877. https://doi.org/10.25212/lfu.qzj.7.1.33
Faeq, D., Garanti, Z., & Sadq, Z. (2021). The Effect of Total Quality Management on Organizational Performance: Empirical
Evidence from the Construction Sector in Sulaymaniyah City, Kurdistan Region – Iraq. UKH Journal of Social Sciences,
5(1), 29-41. https://doi.org/10.25079/ukhjss.v5n1y2021.pp29-41
Giraud, L., Frimousse, S., Le Bihan, Y., & Plata, C. Mindful and positive leadership interventions in USA: Impacts.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60460-8.
Hadžiahmetović, N., Demir, S., & Budur, T. (2022). Leadership Style and Affective Commitment at Family Businesses.
International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 9(1), 318-335.
Karatepe, O. M. (2014). Hope, work engagement, and organizationally valued performance outcomes: an empirical study in the
hotel industry in italya. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 23(6), 678-698.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2014.855994
Kwan, S. S. M., Tuckey, M. R., & Dollard, M. F. (2014). Dominant culture and bullying; Personal accounts of workers in
Malaysia. In Psychosocial factors at work in the Asia Pacific (pp. 177-200). Springer, Dordrecht.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8975-2_9
Mara Martini, & Daniela Converso. (2014). Gratitude, or the Positive Side of the Relationship with Patients. Development and
First Validation of New Instruments: A Scale of Gratitude Perceived by Operators and a Scale of Support Offered by the
Gratitude Expressed by Their Patients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943427/
Meyers, L. S., Gamst, G., & Guarino, A. J. (2006). Applied Multivariate Research Design and Interpretation Italy. Thousand Oaks,
CA Sage. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.56067
Nelson, S. A., Azevedo, P. R., Dias, R. S., Sousa, S. M. D., Carvalho, L. D. D., Silva, A. C., & Rabelo, P. P. (2014). The influence
of bullying on the wellbeing of Brazilian nursing professionals in Brazil. Public Money & Management, 34(6), 397-404.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2014.962364
Poturak, M., Mekić, E., Hadžiahmetović, N., & Budur, T. (2020). Effectiveness of Transformational Leadership among Different
Cultures. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 7(3), 119–129.
Razzaghian, M., & Ghani, U. (2014). Effect of workplace bullying on turnover intention of faculty members in Pakistan: A case of
private sector universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Business & Economic Review, 6(1), 40-51.
https://doi.org/10.22547/BER/6.1.3
Robert, F. (2018). Impact of workplace bullying on job performance and job stress in Pakistan. Journal of Management Info, 5(3),
12-15. https://doi.org/10.31580/jmi.v5i3.123
Sean Valentine, S. V., & Gary Fliechman, G. F. G. (2017). From schoolyard to workplace: The impact of bullying on sales and
business employees’ machiavellianism, job satisfaction, and perceived importance of an ethical issue in Europe
Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research methods for business: A skill building approach (7th ed.). UK: John Wiley & Sons.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2014.982102
Sharon Kwan, S. K., & Maureen Dollard, M. D. (2014). The role of the psychosocial safety climate in coping with workplace
bullying Germany: A grounded theory and sequential tree analysis. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21834
Ståle Valvatne Einarsen At University Of Bergen Ståle Valvatne Einarsen. (2011) in USA. The concept of bullying and harassment
at work: The European tradition. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOTB-13-02-2010-B004
Torlak, N. G., Demir, A., & Budur, T. (2021). Decision-making, leadership and performance links in private education institutes.
Rajagiri Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/RAMJ-10-2020-0061.
Torlak, N. G., Kuzey, C., Dinc, MS., & Budur, T. (2021). Links connecting nurses’ planned behavior, burnout, job satisfaction and
organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health.
https://doi.org/10.1080/15555240.2020.1862675
Zaim, H., Demir, A., & Budur, T. (2020). Ethical leadership, effectiveness and team performance: An Islamic perspective. Middle
East Journal of Management, 8(1), 42-66.
Publisher’s Note: SSBFNET stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee SSBFNET, Istanbul, Turkey. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478) by SSBFNET is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License.
