Effects of social undermining in families on deviant workplace behaviours in Pakistani nurses

To examine whether negative emotions could mediate the association linking social undermining in families (i.e. negative judgements that prevent the maintenance of positive familial ties) to nurses' deviant workplace behaviours (i.e. behaviours that disrupt the normal functioning of organisations), and whether neuroticism could moderate the association linking social undermining in families to negative emotions by adopting the spillover theory.

This study tested a moderated mediation model based on the hospital industry in Pakistan. Negative familial stressors can disrupt work-related behaviours, but it remains unknown as to how negative emotions and personality traits can affect this family-to-work relationship.

Temporally segregated survey data were collected from nurses (n = 325 dyads) working in the hospitals of Pakistan.

Findings showed that social undermining in families triggered deviant workplace behaviours in Pakistani nurses through the mediating effect of negative emotions. High levels of neuroticism strengthened the association linking social undermining in families to negative emotions.

Our moderated mediated model showed that family-related stressors can "spill over" to the workplace and disrupt employee behaviours under the mediating effect of negative emotions. The perception of family-related negative emotions can also be increased among individuals with high levels of neuroticism.

We recommend the establishment of social support networks and workshops for nurses to cope with the negative emotions they experienced from family and non-work domains.