Workplace bullying: consequences, causes and controls (part two)

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the consequence of workplace bullying on employee productivity in CSOs in Uganda. Consequently, three questions were answered, namely: what is the consequence of workplace bullying on employee attendance in civil society organizations? What is the consequence of workplace bullying on employee efficiency in civil society organization? And what is the consequence of workplace bullying on teamwork among employees in civil society organizations?
 Methodology: This study adopted a literature review method of secondary data from available sources including academic manuscripts, and peer-reviewed journals.
 Findings: Workplace bullying has negative implications on the productivity of employees, and by extension, negative implications on the productivity of organizations. Workplace bullying diminishes productivity of the organization by causing absenteeism, which deprives an organization of man-hours which should have been put into productivity. It leads to increased absenteeism among employees, which concurs with available studies which observed that the consequences of workplace bullying like absenteeism are liable to affect work performance. Workplace bullying can affect efficiency by altering work tasks and make them difficult or impossible. This way, workplace bullying slowdown work and thereby reduce employees’ productivity. In the same vein, bullying makes employees feel that they are not valued or respected, and as a consequence lose their motivation and become less engaged in work, thereby slowing down work pace and by extension, productivity of the organization.
 Conclusion and recommendations: From the study, bullying contributes a small portion in the variations in slow down among employees in the selected organizations. While bullied employees disguise themselves to continue working, they waste a lot of time attempting to avoid the bully even if bullying does not contribute to significant amount of work slowdown per day, yet cumulative effects of that have negative ramifications on teamwork and employee productivity in general.
 Unique contribution to policy and or practice: This study used the substantive theory to review the relationship between workplace and bullying and staff productivity. The study has shown significant influences of workplace bullying absenteeism and teamwork. The results validate the significance of the Substantive theory in studying workplace bullying and its influences on staff productivity. Consequently, management of international non-government organizations should not take workplace bullying lightly but should take it as something costly for organizations and therefore should be prevented or redressed by putting in place anti-bullying policies and measures. Also, CSOs should implement procedures for managing both the oppressors and sufferers of workplace intimidation.

The study investigates the relationship between workplace bullying, stress, and employee well-being, focusing on the mediating role of stress in this dynamic. Using a cross-sectional survey of 310 employees in the Malaysian banking sector, analyzed through structured equation modeling (SEM), the findings reveal that workplace bullying directly elevates stress levels, which in turn adversely affects well-being. Furthermore, stress serves as a significant mediator between workplace bullying and well-being. The research provides implications for organizations and practitioners by bringing out the effects of workplace bullying and stress on the employee. This research assumes more importance in light of COVID-19, as changes in workplaces and the existing level of uncertainty have aggravated the psychological pressures across the world affecting the well-being of employees considerably. Analyzing the research from the psychological and managerial points of view, this research enhances overall knowledge about psychosocial working conditions and provides guidance for management to enhance ways of preventing workplace bullying and increasing staff members' well-being, especially in crisis periods.

Bullying can make life unbearable for its targets and undermine the effective functioning of organisations. This book is a clear, systematic and well-referenced guide to the prevention and consequences of workplace bullying, with case studies that bring the subject to life. This evidence-based guide is written for people at all levels: employees, mentors, students, managers, mediators, legal advisers and those working in human resources. It outlines the responsibilities of managers and the legal impact and implications of workplace bullying. We wait until chapter eight to examine ‘the target’s perspective’. This may seem strange, but it works well, as there is much in the previous chapters that a victim of bullying could learn from. This is a useful and readable book, with an excellent further resources section. It helps us to understand what is really going on when bullying occurs. The authors offer practical advice, discuss ‘unacceptable behaviour’ and make an effective case for why bullying needs to be tackled.

Bullying is one of the prevalent social phenomena often perpetrated by individuals in our surroundings. This behavior can range from physical violence to psychological abuse. Bullying can occur in various environments, including the workplace, often referred to as workplace bullying. Victims of bullying can experience various issues, such as becoming more introverted, having reduced social interactions, and experiencing decreased self-confidence. Workplace bullying is a recurring act of hostility, aggression, both verbal and non-verbal violence, carried out with the intent to torment, thwart, provoke, intimidate, causing discomfort to the recipient. This consideration is the basis for providing psychoeducation related to workplace bullying. The psychoeducational program aims to enhance the awareness of Al Kholafiyah students regarding the impact and how to respond when cases of workplace bullying occur. The community service is conducted using the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) method. The activity proceeds smoothly by presenting real cases and delivering materials on the impact of workplace bullying. Participants gain an understanding of the dangers and consequences of workplace bullying.

Background: Workplace bullying is common problem that threatens nursing profession, nurse's health and ability to work safely. Aim: to assess workplace bullying among nurses in primary health care centers in Port Said governorate.Setting: Study was conducted in seven primary health care centers representing districts of Port Said governorate.Sample: composed of 61 staff nurses working at health clinics in the randomly selected primary health care centers. Tools of data collection: Data were obtained through Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R).Results: Majority of staff nurses (86.9%) had secondary nursing education and 82% were married. More than half of the studied nurses (54.1%) were victims of workplace bullying, two third of nurses (60.6%) had bullied by patients and patient relatives and more than one third (33.3%) bullied by supervisor and manager. Conclusion: It was concluded from this study, more than half of nurses were victims of workplace bullying. There was no statistical significant relation between workplace bullying and socio-demographic data.Recommendation: Counseling sessions about consequences of workplace bullying should be held on regular base in health care centers.

BackgroundExisting evidence on the association between exposure to bullying and sleep is limited and inconclusive. The aims of this planned systematic review and meta-analysis are therefore (1) to determine whether exposure to workplace bullying is related to changes in sleep function and (2) to establish mediating and moderating factors that govern the relationship between bullying and sleep.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted. Electronic databases will be searched using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies should report empirical findings on the association between exposure to workplace bullying and at least one indicator of sleep. Primary observational studies with cross-sectional or prospective research design, case-control studies, and studies with experimental designs will be included. Qualitative interviews and case studies will be excluded. The methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed with a previously established checklist for studies on workplace bullying. The quality of evidence for an association between bullying and sleep problems will evaluated in accordance with the GRADE system. A random effects meta-analysis will be conducted with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, version 3.DiscussionThis review and meta-analysis will be among the first to systematically explore and integrate the evidence available on the association between exposure to bullying and sleep, as well as on the mediating and moderating factors that can govern this associations. By gathering and summarizing information about potential factors that can explain when and how bullying is related to sleep, the findings from this study will provide directions for future research and provide practitioners and clinicians with an understanding about the nature and consequences of workplace bullying and point to directions for relevant interventions.Systematic review registrationThe protocol has been registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42018082192).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of workplace bullying in the relationship between interpersonal conflicts, transformational leadership, and psychosomatic disorders. The hypotheses were tested in a path model. The sample consisted of 7,639 non-university women teachers from different levels of public education, split into two groups: participants exposed to workplace violence behaviors but not workplace bullying ( n = 7,090) and participants who met the two workplace bullying criteria (frequency and duration) ( n = 549). The results indicate that exposure to work-related interpersonal conflicts is a predictor of negative acts related to workplace violence and workplace bullying in non-university women teachers. The perception of transformational leadership had a significant effect in preventing acts related to workplace violence in the group of women who only met the workplace bullying frequency criterion, but it was not significant in preventing workplace bullying. Additionally, women who suffered from workplace bullying significantly increased the frequency of psychosomatic disorders and professional support to overcome personal crises related to work compared to women who experienced workplace violence but not workplace bullying. School administrators need to promote adaptive coping behaviors to counter the negative violence subculture in schools and develop transformational leadership skills to avoid workplace violence toward women teachers.

Workplace bullying represents persistent behaviors that are both overt and covert. There is an increasing need for understanding this construct for the reason that it is directly linked to bringing the victim to a state of long lasting emotional distress. Alarmingly, such aggression usually is invisible and difficult to identify. This provides a rationale for elucidating the concept of bullying in the workplace at length through an extensive review of the existing literature. Various facets of workplace bullying have been highlighted in this paper in order to show its detrimental effects on the health of targets working in any occupational or organizational setting. Drawing on well-established theories and findings of various researchers, the concept of workplace bullying is systematically linked with how it can evolve into mental health problems. In addition, few hypotheses are also presented for future research purpose. Key words: Workplace bullying, aggression, interpersonal conflict, health issues, post traumatic stress disorder.

Primary education is the earliest level of formal education that serves as a center for developing young brains and providing the fundamentals of education. Workplace bullying is a ubiquitous issue that affects workers all over the world, including in the education sector. Educators, staff, and students may experience the negative effects of workplace bullying. Physical aggression, verbal abuse, and social isolation are just a few examples. Bullying can occur in a variety of contexts, including face-to-face interactions, online communication, and indirect forms such as gossip and rumor spreading, and it can make it harder for educationalists to provide a supportive learning environment for their students. It can have a negative impact on educators' well-being and job satisfaction and promotes stress, anxiety, burnout, or other deviant behaviors, which eventually impede students' education. Therefore, an exploratory study is vital that investigates the antecedents and consequences of workplace bullying in primary education.

This study used a qualitative approach to explore workplace bullying within the Australian hospitality industry. It considered the perspectives of ten frontline and management staff who identified 19 bullying incidents and were able to discuss the causes and consequences of this for employees and organizations. Two clear themes emerged as causes of bullying: personal characteristics of the victim and bully and hospitality industry characteristics. Overall participants suggested that low levels of personal power paired with poor leadership create a power imbalance that can lead to negative organizational consequences. Few participants felt comfortable or supported to report bullying.

The paper provides an overview of the definition and explanatory framework of workplace bullying, explores the factors that contribute to it, and discusses the serious consequences that both individuals and organizations may face as a result. Additionally, the paper offers practical recommendations for organizations to mitigate and prevent workplace bullying. Through this study, the author aims to contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding workplace bullying and assist organizations in creating a safe and supportive work environment for their employees.

Objective: This research sought to study the prevalence of workplace bullying in Saudi Arabia, examining its various types experienced by employees. Additionally, it aimed to delve into the demographic and work-related factors linked with workplace bullying. The secondary objective involved an assessment of existing policies and interventions addressing workplace bullying, with the goal of providing recommendations for enhancing prevention and management strategies in the region. Methods: This study used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data on workplace bullying experiences. Beside sociodemographic-related questions, the questionnaire used Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) for bullying assessment. Results: The study involved 625 participants, with a mean age of 34.2 years and a balanced gender distribution. The majority were from the Eastern Province, with varying marital statuses, and were predominantly single. Most had completed university education (73.6%) and were employed (52%) in the governmental sector (64.5%). Age was found to be negatively correlated with bullying, suggesting lower levels as individuals grew older. Marital status, employment status, job role within the healthcare system, and mental disorder diagnosis significantly influenced bullying scores. Higher extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness scores were adversely correlated with bullying, while higher neuroticism scores were positively correlated with bullying. Openness to experience scores showed a weak positive correlation. Conclusion: The study reveals that workplace bullying is prevalent and significantly influenced by sociodemographic factors and different personality traits. Factors like age, marital status, employment status, job role, and mental health status impacted bullying scores. Personality traits were also found to influence the likelihood of bullying.

In spite of the substantial negative effects of workplace bullying and the widespread recognition of the problem of workplace bullying, the legal status of workplace bullying and psychological harassment remains quite uncertain in the United States. Rather than receiving comprehensive legal treatment by either federal or state law, workplace bullying and psychological harassment is addressed in the United States, if at all, by a number of disparate statutes and causes of action, none of which are tailored to the particular issues raised by bullying in the workplace. Workplace bullying remains a problem in search of a cause of action.

Despite extensive research on social worker (SW) roles in Jordan, limited attention has been given to the job's negative effects on SWs' psychological, emotional, and mental health, including its impact on performance and service quality. This cross-sectional study explores the relationship between job burnout, workplace bullying (WPB), social capital, and various personal characteristics among Jordanian SWs. Path analysis using SPSS AMOS revealed that SWs, particularly female SWs and those with work experience between one and five years, experienced job burnout, WPB, and low levels of social capital. Job burnout was positively correlated with WPB and negatively correlated with social capital. Social capital mediated the relationship between job burnout and WPB rates. These results highlight the need for greater focus on social work as both a practice and an academic discipline in Jordan. Organizations should adopt policies that promote ethical leadership and empowering them to strengthen social capital.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the phenomenon of workplace bullying in response to recent calls for the development of different approaches and provide an exploration of artful approaches to intervention.Design/methodology/approachThe paper offers a unique conceptualisation of workplace bullying and applies a phenomenological lens to the issue. A review of literature explores the potential value of artful interventions, and drawing on authors’ knowledge and experience with the targets of bullying, they design a forum theatre intervention for use in practice.FindingsThis paper argues that phenomenology offers a unique and valuable approach to understanding workplace bullying and its management. In turn, the authors propose that artful ways of engaging with workplace bullying could be an effective way of empowering workers in a “moment” of workplace bullying, and present a forum theatre workshop specifically designed for application in workplace contexts where bullying is prevalent. The three-phase workshop aims to help employees critically reflect on their current work practices and is intended for use in small group teaching.Research limitations/implicationsThe long-term impact of this intervention has not been evaluated against more traditional methods of addressing this problem. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of this, and other art-based interventions, in workplace settings.Originality/valueWorkplace bullying research is predominantly conducted from a functionalist perspective, and other methods of inquiry, such as phenomenology, are rarely considered. This paper argues for artful interventions and provides an original, tailored workshop designed to empower employees to recognise and respond to bullying in the workplace.