Title: Workplace bullying, organisational commitment and entrepreneurial intentions: the Serbian case

Authors: Sanja Stankov; Tatjana Ilić-Kosanović; Jasmina Poštin; Eleonora Brtka; Milan Nikolić

Addresses: Department of Management, University of Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Serbia ' School of Engineering Management, Union - Nikola Tesla University, Sremski Karlovci, Belgrade, Serbia ' Department of Management, Union - Nikola Tesla University, Sremski Karlovci, Belgrade, Serbia ' Department of Informatics, University of Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Serbia ' Department of Management, University of Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Serbia

Abstract: The aim of the paper is to examine the effects of workplace bullying on organisational commitment, the theory of planned behaviour and entrepreneurial intentions. The moderating effect of the respondents' level of education on the observed relationships was also examined. The data were obtained through a survey of 536 respondents, employed by organisations in Serbia. The following methods were used: correlation analysis, regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. The main findings are: Workplace bullying negatively affects organisational commitment, most strongly organisational identification; Person-related bullying can damage employees' self-esteem, leading to loss of faith in their entrepreneurial skills, and a significant decline in their entrepreneurial intentions; Work-related bullying can motivate employees to show their professional values and prove their business skills through entrepreneurship. The results are useful for leaders and employees, in terms of gaining a better understanding of the observed effects of workplace bullying and mitigating their consequences.

Keywords: workplace bullying; organisational commitment; theory of planned behaviour; entrepreneurial intentions; Serbia.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2026.151604

European Journal of International Management, 2026 Vol.28 No.3, pp.493 - 515

Received: 21 Sep 2020
Accepted: 23 Nov 2020
Published online: 10 Feb 2026 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article