Bullying bystander reactions: a case study in the Taiwanese workplace

Abstract

This study aimed to describe bystander interactions with targets, bullies, and organizational factors in a Taiwanese office context. Various factors shape bystanders’ perceptions of bullying, and how those perceptions subsequently influence bystanders’ reactions. Data were collected through conversational interviews and selective thematic analyses were undertaken to explore participants’ lived experiences. The interview findings identified the main theme of ‘injustice’ and revealed that bystanders’ reactions depend on how the organization handles bullying incidents. An experience of injustice typically had a considerable influence on participants’ work engagement and loyalty toward the organization. A lack of managerial involvement in preventing bullying behavior increased bystanders’ turnover intention and negatively affected the company's bottom line. The results reveal the importance of including bystanders in future interventions against workplace bullying. This study contributes to the extant workplace bullying research by describing bystanders’ reactions and the consequences for organizations.

‘I could help, but . . .’: A dynamic sensemaking model of workplace bullying bystanders

“…Mulder et al, 2017), they also exhibit a range of other behaviours, many of which are much less constructive in nature (e.g. Wu and Wu, 2018).…”

“…The increase in passive destructive behaviour over time suggested by our model is supported by empirical evidence. For example, both D'Cruz and Noronha (2011) and Wu and Wu (2018) describe how early constructive responses, such as support for victims or attempts to confront perpetrators, are typically withdrawn and retracted over time.…”

When and how vicarious abusive supervision leads to bystanders’ supervisor-directed deviance

“…Studies have indicated that executives of the Fortune 1,000 typically spend 13 percent of their work time – approximately seven weeks per year – on remedying their relationships with employees after the occurrence of abusive supervision (Porath and Pearson, 2013). In addition, surveys and case studies have reported that bystanders commonly seek assistance from human resource managers after witnessing abusive supervision (Withey and Cooper, 1989; Wu and Wu, 2019). When human resource managers overlook the effects of vicarious abusive supervision on bystanders, bystanders can lose their work engagement, ultimately increasing their turnover intentions.…”

“…This consequently affects an organization’s human resource stability, leading to an increase in the costs of employee recruitment and training. When this effect persists for a prolonged period, the organization can lose its long-term employees who have acquired valuable knowledge and skills through experience and training, thus impeding its operational efficiency and performance (Wu and Wu, 2019). Accordingly, human resource managers must clarify the mechanism through which vicarious abusive supervision affects bystanders and must intervene promptly; doing so can mitigate the negative effects of vicarious abusive supervision on bystanders.…”

Taming the Raging Bully! A Case Study Critically Exploring Anti-bullying Measures to Support Neurodiverse Employees

“…Devonish (2017) also recognizes perceptions of victimization as one of the broadly accepted characteristics of bullying in the workplace. Bullying tends to be seen as an interchange among a victim and an offender (Wu & Wu, 2018). Furthermore, it should be appreciated that bullying is not necessarily confined to the behaviours of a sole perpetrator.…”