Workplace bullying (WB) is widely recognized as a significant occupational hazard in healthcare, particularly among nurses, adversely affecting psychological and physical health, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and even patient safety (Lin et al., 2025; Varghese et al., 2022; Zhang, Zou, & Zhang, 2025). Exposure to bullying has been linked to increased stress, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intentions, ultimately compromising care quality (Goh et al., 2022; Lever et al., 2019; Shorey & Wong, 2021). In South Korea, male nurses now number nearly 30,000—over 5% of licensed nurses (Korean Nurses Association, 2022)—yet the traditional stereotypical idea that nursing is a female profession persists. Male nurses face unique challenges, including anxiety, concerns about masculinity, social prejudice, and difficulty integrating into a predominantly female work environment (Akella & Seay, 2022; Lee, 2023; Rajacich et al., 2013). Despite growing attention, most research has focused on aggregated nurse samples, limiting insights into subgroup-specific experiences, including those of male nurses.

Factors contributing to WB can be categorized into individual, organizational, and social factors (Vijayakumar & Rajagopal, 2024). Individual factors—such as demographic characteristics, perceptual abilities, and mental health—are influenced by geographic location and sociocultural contexts; organizational factors include support, leadership style, interpersonal relationships, and culture; social factors involve societal norms, legal systems, and cultural background (Goh et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2020; Shorey & Wong, 2021). Gender also shapes bullying experiences, as men and women face different workplace expectations and coping strategies. Women often experience higher rates of bullying and use indirect coping strategies, whereas men are more likely to confront bullying directly (Akella & Seay, 2022; Rosander et al., 2020). Notably, new graduate male nurses have reported significantly higher WB levels than their female counterparts (Favaro et al., 2021). However, some research has argued that there is no significant correlation between gender and WB (Goh et al., 2022; Karatuna et al., 2020). These gender-specific patterns underscore the importance of examining WB among male nurses, a minority group in a predominantly female profession, to understand their unique experiences and responses.

The consequences of WB are far-reaching. Nurses who have experienced WB frequently report depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches and fatigue (Lever et al., 2019). Professionally, bullying leads to decreased engagement and motivation, contributing to absenteeism, turnover, and burnout (Bambi et al., 2019; Galanis et al., 2024; Trépanier et al., 2016). Not all nurses exposed to bullying experience the same outcomes, suggesting that individual and organizational resources may buffer its effects.

Guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), this study focuses on two mediators: psychological capital (PsyCap) and nursing organizational culture. Psychological capital, comprising hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism (Luthans et al., 2004), protects nurses from stress and emotional exhaustion, mitigating negative workplace experiences (Bae et al., 2021; Peng et al., 2025). PsyCap directly enhances work engagement, organizational commitment, and retention intention (Flinkman, Coco, et al., 2023; Yuan et al., 2023). Indirectly, it mediates and buffers the negative effects of WB and violence on emotional exhaustion, professional identity, and presenteeism (Chang et al., 2023; Peng et al., 2025; Zhang, Jiang, & Sun, 2025). Psychological capital mediated the relationship between workplace bullying and symptom experience (Yun & Kang, 2018).

Nursing organizational culture can be described as the common beliefs, thoughts, and behavioral patterns formed through interactions among nurses and their experiences during work processes within the organization (Kim et al., 2004). Nursing organizational culture, particularly relationship- and task-oriented dimensions, supports collaboration, trust, and role clarity, which can reduce the harmful effects of bullying (Flinkman, Coco, et al., 2023; Vijayakumar & Rajagopal, 2024). Nursing organizational culture directly influences WB, with hierarchical or unsupportive cultures increasing bullying prevalence (An & Kang, 2016; Hutchinson et al., 2008). A relationship-oriented organizational culture demonstrated a significant direct impact on workplace bullying (Yun & Kang, 2018). Indirectly, culture shapes power dynamics and tolerance for negative behavior, thereby mediating face-to-face and cyberbullying patterns (Choi & Park, 2019) and affecting overall bullying risk (Jang et al., 2024; Zhang, Zou, & Zhang, 2025).

While prior research has highlighted the independent roles of PsyCap and organizational culture, it has rarely examined their joint mediating effects on WB outcomes, particularly among male nurses. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for designing interventions to promote well-being, support professional adaptation, and reduce turnover in this minority group. This study addresses this gap by investigating how PsyCap and nursing organizational culture mediate the relationship between bullying types and their consequences for male nurses.