Bullying at work is widely reported among nurses. It results in negative well-being of nurses and negative work outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms through which bullying can lead to emotional labor, burnout and subsequent low occupational commitment is important for preventing and managing this problem. The aim of this study is twofold. Specifically we aim to examine the relationship between young nurses’ experiences of workplace bullying and affective occupational commitment in Chinese healthcare settings. Furthermore, guided by emotional regulation theory and Conservation of Resource Theory (COR), we examine the process from workplace bullying to emotional labor (deep acting and surface acting), emotional exhaustion, and to subsequent affective occupational commitment. Results of structural equation models on young nurses working in Chinese hospitals (N = 245) provided support for the hypothesized model linking work-related bullying, deep acting/surface acting, and emotional exhaustion, and this in turn to affective occupational commitment.

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Emotional Labor,Emotional Exhaustion,Affective Occupational Commitment,Workplace Bullying,Nurse