İşyerinde Siber Zorbalık Ölçeği’nin Türkçeye Uyarlanması: Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Sınama Çalışması
Turkish Adaptation of the Workplace Cyberbullying Measure: A Validity and Reliability Testing Study
Intensive technology use and its innovation-oriented structure have created a revolutionary transformation in business communications. As the business environment evolves from a physical to a virtual context, cyberbullying has grown (Vranjes, Baillien, Vandebosch, Erreygers, & De Witte, 2017). On one hand, cyberbullying has been simply described as a form of bullying behavior in a cyber environment (Campbell, 2005). On the other hand, cyberbullying in the workplace has been perceived as a psychosocial threat arising from the cyber world (Jon-Chao, Chien-Hou, Ming-Yueh, Ru-Ping, & Yi-Ling, 2014). The negative effects of workplace bullying on the individual are also similar to cyberbullying, being as a new form of bullying (Privitera & Campbell, 2009). In recent years, there has been an increased awareness on cyberbullying. Reflecting the concerns of parents, the media, and society, much of the research has focused on cyberbullying between children and adolescents while workplace cyberbullying has not been sufficiently addressed (Coyne et al., 2017; West et al., 2014). In order to better understand and conceptualize workplace cyberbullying, it is believed that more research is needed in this developing field. In this context, this study reviews the literature related to the Workplace Cyberbullying Measure developed by Farley, Coyne, Axtell, and Sprigg (2016). Then, cyberbullying in the workplace has been measured with the Turkish adaptation of this measure by testing its psychometric properties.
Method
In this study, it is aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Workplace Cyberbullying Measure (WCM) developed by Farley et al. (2016), which is thought as a short, easy-to-understand and easy-to-use scale. It is also intended to bring this measurement tool into the national literature by conducting its Turkish adaptation. In the translation of the Workplace Cyberbullying Measure, the method proposed by Brislin, Lonner, and Thorndike (1973) and accepted in the literature, was carried out and final shape of the scale in Turkish language which is ready to apply for researches was composed. The study was carried out by two samples in the banking sector in Kastamonu province determined by taking the data of the Banks Association of Turkey into consideration. In the data gathering process, emotional exhaustion scale and job satisfaction scale were also used with Workplace Cyberbullying Measure. In the content validity of the scale, opinions of experts in the field were taken. Structural validity studies of the scale were conducted with two samples and reliability analysis (in terms of internal consistency analysis) was performed for both of the samples. In order to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Workplace Cyberbullying Measure, item analysis and exploratory factor analysis were performed for the data taken from the first sample while confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis (with emotional exhaustion scale and job satisfaction scale) were performed for the data taken from the second sample.
Results
The first sample consists of 322 employees. With the data obtained from this group, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis were conducted respectively. According to the findings of item analysis, the consistency of the items of the scale were determined. Due to findings of exploratory factor analysis it was determined that the scale had a two-factor structure as if in the original. Internal consistency analysis indicated that Cronbach’s Alpha value of the scale (.88) was above the acceptability limit. The second sample consists of 278 employees. With the data obtained from this group, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency analysis and correlation analysis (with emotional exhaustion scale and job satisfaction scale) were conducted respectively. According to the findings of confirmatory factor analysis, it can be seen that the two-factor structure of the scale consisting of work-related cyberbullying and person-related cyberbullying was both confirmed as found in the findings of exploratory factor analysis conducted in the first sample and as in the original of the scale. Once again, internal consistency analysis indicated that Cronbach’s Alpha value of the scale (.89) and its factors (.88 for work-related cyberbullying; .90 for person-related cyberbullying) were above the acceptability limit. Findings of correlation analysis (with emotional exhaustion scale and job satisfaction scale) demonstrated that there was a significant and positive relationship between emotional exhaustion and workplace cyberbullying and its factors. Furthermore, there was a significant and negative relationship between job satisfaction and workplace cyberbullying, and its factors. Findings obtained from all these analyses can be evaluated as evidence for validity and reliability of the Workplace Cyberbullying Measure.
Discussion
According to the results of the analyses related to validity and reliability, it is evaluated that the Turkish form of Workplace Cyberbullying Measure, which overlaps with the original scale and has a two-factor confirmed structure, can be used as a valid and reliable measurement tool for measuring the cyberbullying experiences of employees in the workplace. It should also be noted that the findings of this study are limited to the data obtained from the participants. This study has been carried out with employees in banking sector because of the fact that they are using information and communication technologies intensively. Moreover, future researches which will be conducted with different samples will strengthen the findings of this study related to validity and reliability of the scale. All things considered, the scale examined in this study will contribute as a meaningful tool for future researches in national literature related to workplace cyberbullying problem.