LAUSR

AIM This paper examined the impact of workplace bullying (WPB) on mild aggressive deviant behavior, such as knowledge hiding and employee time theft, in Pakistani healthcare institutions. Additionally, this study investigated the mediating role of negative emotions on the relationship between WPB and its outcomes. BACKGROUND Although mild deviant behavior has been proven to affect the healthcare sector, its antecedents are still untapped. METHOD Data were collected from 233 nurses working in hospitals located across Pakistan via self-administered questionnaires in three time lags to test both the direct and indirect effects of WPB. The hypothesized correlations were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). RESULTS The results revealed that WPB increased knowledge hiding and employee time theft among nurses. The indirect effect of negative emotions was established on the aforementioned relationships. CONCLUSION This study contributes to the existing literature by concentrating on predictors that trigger deviant behavior among nurses. It also assessed the mediating impact of emotions, wherein such endeavor is essential for researchers and practitioners. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT The study outcomes are significant for the hospital sector to improve their strategies, such as implementing resilience during stressful events to address WPB and deviant behavior amongst nurses.