Bullying and ill-treatment: insights from an Irish public sector workplace

Hodgins, Margaret; Lewis, Duncan; Pursell, Lisa; Hogan, Victoria; MacCurtain, Sarah; Mannix‐McNamara, Patricia

doi:10.1080/09540962.2020.1804679

Cited by 8 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In Ireland, The Irish Workplace Behaviour Study (2018) surveyed 1,764 randomly selected households as well as three targeted organisations. 43 per cent of respondents had experienced ill treatment in the workplace, of which unreasonable management was identified as having been experienced by 36.7 per cent (Hodgins et al , 2018). A total of 14 per cent of respondents acknowledged that they had, in fact, perpetrated unreasonable management with 42.0 per cent witnessing unreasonable management.…”

Section: Toxic Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In terms of employment sectors, unreasonable management was most likely to be experienced by those working in Health and Social Services (45.15 per cent) as well as Financial Services (44.38 per cent). A total of 33.61 per cent of those employed within education experienced unreasonable management while just over 34 per cent reported experiencing incivility and disrespect (Hodgins et al , 2018). A study by the ESRI (2018) reports increasing numbers of Irish workers who claim to have experienced stress in the workplace (from 8 per cent in 2010 to 17 per cent in 2018), job demands (time pressures, emotional demands, job demands as well as exposure to bullying/harassment were found to be contributory factors to this increased level.…”

Section: Toxic Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The lived experience of toxic leadership in Irish higher education

Fahie

2019

IJWHM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal the lived experience of toxic leadership for a cohort of 11 individuals who work, or have worked, in the field of higher education in Ireland. Drawing on national and international literature, as well as the testimonies of a cohort of academic and administrative staff, the study considers the impact of this negative management style on these individuals as well as upon the organisation itself. Design/methodology/approach A total of 11 self-selected individuals (four males and seven females) were interviewed for this pilot study. Data from the semi-structured interviews were organised thematically and analysed with the support of the computer software package MAXQDA®. Findings The results show that the experience of toxic leadership was profound for the interviewees across a number of contexts. They reported adverse physical and psychological impacts as well as detailing the repercussions for their respective career trajectories as they endeavoured to safely navigate their often-hostile work environment. Human resources departments within their respective institutions were the focus of considerable criticism by the interviewees who highlighted, what they saw as, the inherent contradiction/tension between the perceived roles and responsibilities of such departments in addressing or resolving interpersonal work-related disputes. Originality/value The findings expand on the extant scholarly literature on toxic leadership in higher education and, for the first time, offer a revealing insight on this phenomenon within the Irish context.

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Section: Toxic Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Toxic Leadershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

The lived experience of toxic leadership in Irish higher education

Fahie

2019

IJWHM

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“…Indeed, subsequent research has pointed to the ongoing necessity to analyse the connections between workplace bullying and management behaviours. The Irish Workplace Behaviour Study in 2017 found that respondents working in health and social services were the most likely to report experiencing and witnessing 'unreasonable management' and incivility and disrespect [1].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence indicates that bullying is a widespread occurrence across many sectors and sizes of workplace [1][2][3]. Bullying refers to situations where an employee(s) perceives themselves as subjected to repeated negative actions of others.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“It’s Not Us, It’s You!”: Extending Managerial Control through Coercion and Internalisation in the Context of Workplace Bullying amongst Nurses in Ireland

et al. 2021

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This article investigates why workers submit to managerial bullying and, in doing so, we extend the growing research on managerial control and workplace bullying. We employ a labour process lens to explore the rationality of management both engaging in and perpetuating bullying. Labour process theory posits that employee submission to workplace bullying can be a valuable method of managerial control and this article examines this assertion. Based on the qualitative feedback in a large-scale survey of nurses in Ireland, we find that management reframed bullying complaints as deficiencies in the competency and citizenship of employees. Such reframing took place at various critical junctures such as when employees resisted extremely pressurized environments and when they resisted bullying behaviours. We find that such reframing succeeds in suppressing resistance and elicits compliance in achieving organisational objectives. We demonstrate how a pervasive bullying culture oriented towards expanding management control weakens an ethical climate conducive to collegiality and the exercise of voice, and strengthens a more instrumental climate. Whilst such a climate can have negative outcomes for individuals, it may achieve desired organisational outcomes for management.

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“…Workplace ill-treatment, a term that includes bullying, harassment, unfair management, and violence, is widespread (Fevre et al, 2012; Hodgins et al, 2018). Workplace bullying is the most commonly explored aspect of ill-treatment (Fevre et al, 2012) and is experienced by a significant proportion of workers (Bentley et al, 2009; Fevre et al, 2012; Hodgins et al, 2018; Namie, 2017; Safe Work Australia, 2017; Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying, 2001). There is considerable sectoral variation in terms of exposure to bullying.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Enlightened Environment? Workplace Bullying and Incivility in Irish Higher Education

Hodgins

McNamara

2019

SAGE Open

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This study explores the experiences of workplace ill-treatment of academic staff in the Irish Higher Education sector, with a focus on organizational response to experienced or witnessed workplace bullying and/or incivility. Workplace bullying is a significant problem, affecting approximately 15% of the workforce, with considerable variation by sector. Educational workplaces typically display prevalence rates that exceed average workplace bullying rates. The negative impacts on health and well-being are well documented and evidence is also emerging to show that organizational responses are less than optimal. The data collected comprise 11 qualitative in-depth interviews with academic staff in three of Ireland’s seven Universities. Applying a phenomenological analysis approach, data revealed that participants’ experiences were overwhelmingly negative in respect of organizational response, despite the fact that each University had an anti-bullying policy. This is explored and discussed in the context of failure to address the complex power relations, which are particularly relevant in professional organizations, intensified by current changes in the higher educational sector. Study limitations include the small number of Universities and small sample size, thus limiting generalizability.

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Bullying and ill-treatment: insights from an Irish public sector workplace

Cited by 8 publications

References 42 publications

The lived experience of toxic leadership in Irish higher education

The lived experience of toxic leadership in Irish higher education

“It’s Not Us, It’s You!”: Extending Managerial Control through Coercion and Internalisation in the Context of Workplace Bullying amongst Nurses in Ireland

An Enlightened Environment? Workplace Bullying and Incivility in Irish Higher Education

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