Acceptability of workplace bullying: A comparative study on six continents

Abstract

This paper is the first to explore the impact of culture on the acceptability of workplace bullying and to do so across a wide range of countries. Physically intimidating bullying is less acceptable than work related bullying both within groups of similar cultures and globally. Cultures with high performance orientation find bullying to be more acceptable while those with high future orientation find bullying to be less acceptable. A high humane orientation is associated with finding work related bullying to be less acceptable. Confucian Asia finds work-related bullying to be more acceptable than the Anglo, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa country clusters and finds physically intimidating bullying to be more acceptable than the Anglo and Latin America country clusters. The differences in the acceptability of bullying with respect to these cultures are partially explained in terms of cultural dimensions.

Bullying in Higher Education in Taiwan: The Taiwan Higher Education Faculty Survey (THEFS)

“…The survey is thus expected to show increasing prevalence of workplace bullying. In addition, the survey may confirm other comparative studies, such as Power et al (2013), which have shown comparatively high acceptance levels of workplace bullying among employees in Taiwan due to cultural factors.…”

A time-lagged analysis of the effect of authentic leadership on workplace bullying, burnout, and occupational turnover intentions

“…Einarsen and Hoel (2001) described three components of workplace bullying: (1) work-related bullying, such as withholding information or imposing unreasonable deadlines; (2) personal bullying, such as gossiping or spreading rumors; and (3) physical bullying, such as being shouted at or threatened with physical abuse. Work-related bullying has been shown to be the most frequent and tolerated form of bullying and is strongly related to important retention outcomes, such as turnover intent, poor mental health, and absenteeism (Berthelsen, Skögstad, Lau & Einarsen, 2011;Einarsen, Hoel, & Notelaers, 2009;Power et al, 2011).…”

Examining the Efficacy of the Common Law Tort of Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress and Bullying in the Context of the Employment Relationship

“…Bullying in the workplace unfortunately is not just a phenomenon in the U.S.; other countries are also negatively impacted by bullying, particularly workplaces in those countries with high performance, less humane, and present-oriented as opposed to future-oriented cultures (Powers, et al, 2013). Morris (2016: 261) points to a 2010 international study which indicated that 14.6% of workers are bullied at work.…”

“…Powers, et al (2013) report on studies that indicate victims report lower wellbeing and self-esteem, less job satisfaction, depression, anxiety, irritability, more stress than other employees who are not bullied, as well as concomitant health problems. Bullying also engenders higher turnover, more absenteeism, more forced transfers and resignations, less engagement, a decline in morale, and more incivility (Richardson, Hall, and Joiner, 2016;Powers, et al, 2013;Namie, 2003). Witnesses of bullying can be adversely affected too (Powers, et al, 2013).…”

“…During this process, some abuse their authority and power in repeatedly bullying others through extreme, outrageous and inappropriate behaviors. Of course, bullying behavior can be difficult term to define, but in essence it is conduct that leaves the victim feeling humiliated and threatened (Powers, et al, 2013). The Society of Human Resource Management in its proposed "Company Bully Policy" defines bullying as "repeated inappropriate behavior, either direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment (Hellner and Atwood, 2017: 30-31).…”