TITLE:
The Perceived Intensity of Workplace Toxicity by Demographics and the Mitigating Effects of Organizational Support, Engagement, and Employee Well-Being
AUTHORS:
Kristina Belanger
KEYWORDS:
Toxic Workplace, Employee Engagement, Organizational Support, Organizational Culture, Human Resources
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.14 No.2,
March
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: Workplace toxicity remains a significant organizational challenge for companies, negatively impacting performance, increasing turnover, and harming the psychological well-being of employees. Prior research has examined the outcomes of toxic environments; however, there is a lack of understanding regarding the individual characteristics of employees who may experience workplace toxicity more intensely, as well as whether company support can help mitigate these perceptions of toxicity. This study examined employees by demographic to evaluate whether there are differences in perception of toxicity by demographic and whether organizational support, employee engagement, and employee well-being have any impact in mitigating the effects of perceived toxicity. Data was collected from 176 U.S. private sector employees through SurveyMonkey, an online survey platform. Toxicity perception was measured across seven components, with the analysis performed using the composite-based linear regression models to assess demographic differences in age, sex, and education. The impacts of engagement, organizational support, and well-being were then tested. The findings suggest that toxicity may be structurally embedded within an organization. The analysis did not directly test mitigation mechanisms, rendering an urging of caution regarding conclusions drawn as to the buffering effects of organizational impacts.