From Harassment to Harmony: The Mediating Role of Organizational Tolerance and Moderation of Quality of Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi Among Chinese Law Enforcement Workers

Abstract

Workplace harassment has garnered considerable attention in organizational research due to its profound impact on employee well-being and organizational outcomes. Harassment in the workplace can take various forms, including verbal abuse, bullying, and other forms of psychological aggression, which collectively contribute to a toxic work environment. Such negative experiences can lead to severe consequences, including diminished job satisfaction, increased stress levels, and a heightened intention to leave the organization. The present study aims to test the impact of workplace harassment on employees' turnover intentions, highlighting the mediating role of organizational tolerance and the moderating effect of supervisor–subordinate guanxi. Additionally, the study considers the influence of gender and professional category to be covariates in the analysis. The sample for this study comprises 821 law enforcement officers (58.5% male) from various agencies within China. Workplace harassment was found to significantly and positively correlate with employees' turnover intentions. Organizational tolerance mediated this relationship. While the direct moderating effect of supervisor–subordinate guanxi was not statistically significant, the quality of guanxi moderated the mediated pathway. High-quality supervisor–subordinate guanxi reduced the negative impact of workplace harassment by weakening the mediating role of organizational tolerance. Gender and professional category significantly influenced the results, with women and lower-ranking officers demonstrating higher sensitivity to workplace harassment and organizational tolerance, thereby exacerbating turnover intentions. The findings underscore the importance of addressing workplace harassment and fostering high-quality supervisor–subordinate relationships to mitigate its adverse effects. Furthermore, targeted interventions should account for the unique vulnerabilities associated with gender and professional category to enhance retention strategies and foster supportive organizational environments.

Keywords

Chinese law enforcement officers / organizational tolerance / quality of supervisor-subordinate guanxi / turnover intention / workplace harassment

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