The effect of job satisfaction and burnout on perceived mobbing according to employees' dark tetrad personality patterns

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dark personality traits on employees' workplace burnout, job satisfaction, and perceived mobbing. An online survey was conducted with 397 participants. The survey included demographic questions as well as standardized instruments: the Dark Tetrad Scale, the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Mobbing Scale. For data analysis, total scores and subscale scores were calculated. The sub-dimensions of the Dark Tetrad Scale were categorized into two groups: below average and above average. To examine whether the sub-dimensions of the Mobbing Scale, which served as the dependent variable, differed by demographic characteristics and dark personality traits, the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. Additionally, Spearman correlation analysis was applied to investigate the relationships between the sub-dimensions of the Mobbing Scale and those of the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory, as well as participants' age, total professional experience, and tenure at their current institution. After confirming that the assumptions required for regression analysis were met, multiple linear regression analysis using the stepwise method was performed to examine the predictive power of the independent variables. The regression analyses focused on the sub-dimensions of the Mobbing Scale, including relationships with coworkers, threats and harassment, career-related obstacles, interference with private life, and perception of mobbing in relation to work commitment. These were analyzed in relation to job satisfaction, burnout dimensions, and dark personality traits such as narcissism, psychopathy, behavioral sadism, sadistic attitudes, machiavellian strategies, and machiavellian masking. The findings revealed that dark personality traits significantly influence perceived mobbing. Psychosocial variables such as depersonalization, intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion played a central role in this relationship. Furthermore, demographic variables like age and professional seniority were also found to be influential, particularly in dimensions related to work commitment and privacy.