Perceived Stress as a Stimulant of Social Undermining in the Virtual Workplace: A Serial Mediation Model

Abstract

Interpersonal disagreement among employees at the workplace is an important predictor of perceived stress in general and for virtual and digitally connected workplace in particular. Such perceived stress may potentially lead the employees towards social undermining. This study was a quantitative study and data was collected from different organizations which were primarily based on information and communication technology (ICT) based systems for testing a serial mediation model containing task conflict and relationship conflict as serial mediators. Statistical analysis had shown a significant indirect effect on outcome variable of social undermining by the serial mediators. Discussion has been made with reference to contextual factors such as those in the context of mindfulness theory and other factors that might have impacted this relationship of variables. Such a relationship of variables has not been tested on employees working in virtual and digital setup where psychological contract also plays a part towards conflict generation and its handling leading associated with job stress. Finally, this paper recommends useful future research direction for the contemporary researchers.