3. workplace conflict and bullying Flashcards
workplace bullying is characterised by
persistent and repeated negative behaviour directed at an employee that creates a risk to health and safety
Workplace bullying tends to reflect workplace conflict that has
spiralled out of control without being managed and is known to be a severe workplace stressor
of the criteria that can help to distinguish potential bullying from other forms of workplace conflict include
Behaviour that is repeated over a prolonged period;
The perception of being bullied by the individual;
Negative consequences experienced by the individual; and,
A power imbalance between the parties involved (Australian Parliament House, 2017).
Ways that people are bullied at work include
being given unreasonable deadlines for work,
receiving criticism that is persistent and undue,
having rumours and gossip spread about them,
social isolation
experiencing verbal and physical abuse
Some of the effects of bullying on the individual include
Increased stress
Burnout
Depression
Cardiovascular problems
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Reduced individual and team performance
Low job satisfaction
Increased absenteeism
Higher employee turnover
Organisational factors that are antecedents to bullying include
Uninteresting and unchallenging work
A strained and competitive environment
Poor leadership
Poor working conditions
Role ambiguity and role conflict
An organisational culture that is tolerant of bullying behaviour
Changing nature of work
Individual Factors that may be antecedents to bullying include
Victim personality (high conscientiousness, low extraversion, high neuroticism, and low assertiveness)
Perpetrator personality (aggressive, violent, tyrannical, very low/very high self-esteem)
those with submissive personalities are perceived
easy targets, with an inability to defend him/herself, the inability to cope, and a lack of peer support
those who are overly anxious and/or conscientious have been found to experience
workplace bullying
The characteristics of the perpetrator have received much less research attention in the research, due to
the difficulty in obtaining perpetrator samples
perpetrators of workplace bullying often have
an inflated self-esteem or an unrealistic view of the self
a lack of social competence, low emotional control, and low empathy are associated with
perpetrating workplace bullying , which could mean that perpetrators of workplace bullying vent their anger and frustration to others, sometimes inappropriately
competitiveness and dominant behaviour have been associated with
workplace bullying and may be exerted in an attempt to achieve or maintain power
Coyne (2011) developed a three-level framework for dealing with bullying. The framework discusses preventative, support, and remedial actions, including
The organisational level involves identifying risk factors and developing a culture of dignity and respect
At the group level, focus is on changing norms and values
At the individual level, interventions include providing training to stop potential victims and perpetrators, support mechanisms, and grievance support.
