Validation of the Workplace Emotional Blackmail Scale (WEBS)

While the concept of emotional blackmail originated in the U.S., the measures were developed elsewhere. This research aimed to validate the Workplace Emotional Blackmail Scale (WEBS, Chen et al., Journal of Human Resource Management,23, 1–26, 2023) with samples of employees (Study 1) and supervisors (Study 2) from diverse industries in the U.S. Consistent with Chen et al.’s (Journal of Human Resource Management,23, 1–26, 2023) findings, the confirmatory factor analysis results of both samples indicated that the workplace emotional blackmail construct consists of two dimensions: intimidation and appealing. Moreover, WEBS showed satisfactory reliability and criterion-related validity in both samples (i.e., employee resistance, compliance, and commitment). The research findings suggest that the WEBS scale is adequate for examining the nomological network of emotional blackmail in the workplace.