1. Workplace Bullying 1
Workplace Bullying and its Effects on Both Bullies and Victims
Danielle Monahan
Comm. 3100
10/8/15
UNC-Charlotte

2. Workplace Bullying 2
Literature Review
Bullying is characterized by scholars as behavior that is unfair, oppressive, humiliating,
undermining, or threatening that could potentially also lead to physical harm (Djurkovic,
McCormack & Casimir, 2008, p. 405). In recent years we have seen a drastic increase in bullying
in schools, online, and also at work. This incline of abuse can lead to violence and depression
among those being affected. My goal is to examine workplace bullying specifically, and to
address both the bully and the victim to find out both reasons for bully and the side affects of
being bullied. I will examine previous research about how organizations deal with bullying and if
it is sufficient enough to combat this growing problem, along with uncovering why bullying has
become such a hot topic.
Bullying and the Work Environment
Over time, researchers have found the stress and the environment in which people work
plays a main factor in not only unhappiness in their job but also the inclination to bully. Both the
department in which one works, and the overall environment had effects on those who had been
bullied versus those who had not according to a study in a Danish manufacturing company
(Agervold & Mikkelsen, 2004, p.336). Apparently, climate, management style, social contact,
and role clarity can all have an impact on who is more at risk to bullying versus those more
inclined to be seen as victims (Matthiesen & Einarsen, 2004, p. 335).
In general, bullied employees tend to rate their jobs in a negative light as unsatisfactory
or unfulfilling. Research has found that people who experience higher levels of stress due to
bullying are typically victims two to three times daily (Agrevold & Mikkelsen, 2004, p. 338).
Compared to those departments who had experienced minimal bullying, the psychosocial
environments of those offices where bullying occurs more frequently tend to be rated lower. For

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example, if someone is stressed due to bullying they tend to be less satisfied in their environment
and may not look over things that to others could seem unimportant therefore rating their office
environment as poor (Agrevold & Mikkelsen, 2004, p. 338).
Organizational support also plays a major role in bullying. Research has proven that
whether one feels supported by the organization that they work for influences whether or not
they are likely to leave that organization due to the stress of being bullied (Djurkovic,
McCormack & Casimir, 2008, p. 408). One study in particular that was conducted among
teachers proves that there is a positive correlation to being uncomfortable in a working
environment and leaving that organization (Djurkovic, McCormack & Casimir, 2008, p. 408).
Because employees are more likely to either leave the organization or become absent more often,
the issue of bullying becomes an issue of effectiveness and productivity of an organization.
Social Identity Theory is widely used in determining both what causes workplace
bullying, and how it is seen in the eyes of those involved. Social Identity Theory says that people
use social groups to construct their identity “tending to favor in-groups at the expense of out-
groups”(Ramsay, Troth & Branch, 2011, p. 799). This is not so different from the cliques formed
in high school from the popular kids to the nerds.
Scholars have discovered that the bigger the social difference between in and out groups
the greater the chance in bullying to develop between the groups, usually from the in-groups
towards the out-group (Hutchinson, 2013, p. 564). “Bullying between work groups is more likely
to occur with greater levels of inter-group distrust, particularly during times of organizational
stress, threat, and change.”(Ramsay, Troth & Branch, 2011, p. 801) Because of the in-group, out-
group categorization it is found that differences between the out-groups are accentuated more
than in-groups while out-group members take the blame for being targeted for bullying.

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(Ramsay, Troth & Branch, 2011,p. 802) “From the group perspective, if deviant behaviors
falling into the definition of bullying are condoned, such behaviors can increase and become part
of the sub-culture's accepted repertoire.” (Ramsay, Troth & Branch, 2011,) This means that if
bullying is not combatted, it could become a normal part of an organizations normal
environment.
In a similar study, engaging the opinions of nurses, it is found that those who engage as
the bullies are seen as popular or superior to those who are the victims. Bullying can cause a type
of contagion in the workplace if it is not handled properly and in sufficient time. Researchers
have found that because nurses tend to generally have low self-esteem and poor group identity
tend to aim their aggressions at one another instead of sticking together to combat the challenges
that they may be facing both individually and as a group. (Hutchinson, 2013, p. 563) It is also
found that typically amongst both nurses and in other organizations, those who tend to be the
bullies are also those who hold a position of power. They feel that because they have some sort
of control over their peers that they are able to victimize those around them.
In the nursing field it is reported that up to 80% have faced bullying in the workplace
including subtle things such as isolation, exclusion, harming the reputations of those around the
bully. (Hutchinson, 2013, p. 565) “The proposed model raises an important ethical issue, those
who engage in manipulative bullying may not only degrade or humiliate their colleagues, the
ethical climate of the work team may be eroded to such an extent that it paves the way for patient
care to be implicated in the hostility. Repeated exposure to negative emotions and conflict can
lead to contagion of victimization across the workgroup”. (Hutchinson, 2013, p. 563) It is also
found that because bullying can be socialized and normalized, organizational systems can in a
way condone the bullying instead of facing and eliminating it (Johnston, 2015, p. 403). Those

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who may only witness the bullying are less likely to report the incident because they do not see it
as a big deal because they are somewhat accustomed to it. Due to being socialized to bullying it
is also more prominent that bullies recruit the help of bystanders. These bystanders see the
bullying as a small issue and are therefore recruited into being bullies themselves (Hutchinson,
2013, p. 564).
Workplace Bullying and Gender
When we think of workplace bullying, the effects are not always broken down by gender
and the any ways that women and men are different in handling bullying. “Over 50% of bullies
are women”(Kumar & Kumar, 2012, p. 130). Amongst both bullies and victims, 75% of callers
to the UK National Bullying Advice Line are also women (Kumar & Kumar, 2012, p. 130).
Research has been conducted and has concluded that “macho management” has in some ways
shaped bullying behavior and has told men that it I less acceptable to report or admit that they
had been bullied, whereas women are more encouraged to stand up for themselves even if that
means asking for help (MacIntosh, Wuest, Gray, & Aldous, 2010, p. 910).
Other studies have found that when women are affected by bullying, they tend to reduce
their productivity at work as well as causing a multitude of physiological problems such as stress
and depression (Hutchinson, 2013, p. 563). One study was conducted in Canada where 36
women were interviewed and admitted that if the bulling was reoccurring and extensive, that
they would need outside resources to cope with the trauma because they simply could not handle
it themselves (MacIntosh, Wuest, Gray, & Aldous, 2010, p. 913). Scholars revealed that once the
bullying reaches this point, headaches, anxiety, and even sleep disorders have been reported
(Matthiesen & Einarsen, 2004, p. 337).

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Long-term effects that can stay with the victim also include burnout and long-term
fatigue as well as lowered self-confidence (MacIntosh, Wuest, Gray, & Aldous, 2010, p. 910).
These symptoms could not only affect the victim in their work lives, but also in their family
lives. Most of the victims who report these issues are women, and some men have reported
feeling as though they cannot combat the issue for the fear of being singled out by the bully. “In
the absence of appropriate approaches, management practices may sometimes exacerbate
bullying situations”(MacIntosh, Wuest, Gray, & Aldous, 2010, p. 911).
According to a feminist approach to studying bullying, bullying is not combatted because
we “naturalize” it in childhood in order to aid in the maturation process when in reality it needs
to be disarmed in any point in life because of the suicide risk (Johnston, 2015, p. 405). Scholars
have found that the hormones in the body are actually thrown off when bullying is in effect
(Johnston, 2015, p. 407). Because we place so much emphasis on the groups in which we belong,
they become part of our identities and if one of those groups becomes that of a victim of bullying
it could cause a major imbalance in our lives and in the makeup of how we see our identities.
“The relational model of selfhood claims that we are primarily and principally formed by our
relationships, and that it is the quality and strength of our relationships that makes autonomy
possible” (Johnston, 2015, p. 403).
Bullying and Its Psychiatric Effects
The effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been researched in the
victims of workplace bullying, and it was found that the exposure to persistent and abusive
behavior could cause distress, which in turn causes PTSD (Matthiesen& Einarsen, 2004, p. 335).
Tests have shown that when bullying is not combated within an organization and it persists,
longer than a year then victims are more likely to experience stronger PTSD symptoms

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(Matthiesen & Einarsen, 2004, p. 336). Things that can lead to this disorder do not only have to
be physical or sexual harassment, but are more likely to be emotional abuse, aggression,
intimidation, and mistreatment at work (Hutchinson, 2013, p. 570). When 30 victims were
interviewed in Ireland, these people reported first having symptoms such as mood swings,
anxiety, and irritability which seemed to increase as the bullying went on in comparison to those
who had their bullies fired within a year of the start of the bullying (Matthiesen & Einarsen,
2004, p. 335).
Another study on bullying was conducted in order to link bullying and its affects to
Machiavellianism culture and hierarchy within organizations. Based on self-reports from both
bullies and victims, it is proven that those who possess Machiavellian characteristics such as
egocentrism, and deceitful tendencies are more likely to bully the people around them (Pilch &
Turska, 2015, p. 1). Just because one possesses some of these characteristics does not mean they
will definitely be a bully, it just means that they are more likely to be a bully than others who do
not possess these traits. External conditions such as the work environment and structure also play
a major role in the bullying culture as hierarchy can foster a negative climate due to destructive
management styles, role ambiguity, and low moral standards (Pilch & Turska, 2015, p. 3).
Although there are many ways in which bullying is fostered in an environment, there are
also many ways in which one can cope with bullying and its side effects. Once again it is made
clear that gender plays a major role in bullying, telling us that men are less likely admit to being
victims than women, but when being bullied women are more likely to use avoidance while men
feel that they can face the bully on their own (Olafsson & Johannsdottir, 2015, p. 319). When
facing the effects of bullying, men have been known to want to get revenge and be more

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aggressive whereas women tend to manipulate their social situation in order to avoid the bullying
(Olafsson & Johannsdottir, 2015, p. 320).
For my study I have the following research questions and hypotheses:
RQ1: Is organizational culture and its environment causing an increase in workplace bullying?
HQ1: Unsatisfactory management trends are having a negative impact on the rise of workplace
bullying?
RQ2: How is workplace bullying affecting the mental states of its victims?
HQ2: PTSD, suicidal thoughts, and other mental issues have become a problem due to workplace
bullying and poor management.

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References
Agervold, M., & Mikkelsen, E. G. (2004). Relationships between bullying, psychosocial work
environment and individual stress reactions. Work & Stress, 18, 4, 336-351.
Djurkovic, N., McCormack, D., & Casimir, G. (2008). Workplace bullying and intention to
leave: the moderating effect of perceived organisational support. Human Resource
Management Journal, 18, 4, 405-422.
Hutchinson, M. (2013). Bullying as workgroup manipulation: a model for understanding patterns
of victimization and contagion within the workgroup. Journal of Nursing Management,
21, 3, 563-571.
Johnston, T. R. (2015). Affirmation and care: A feminist account of bullying and bullying
prevention. Hypatia, 30, 2, 403-417.
Kumar, G., Jain, A., & Kumar, B. (2012). Bullying in the workplace: recognition and
management. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, 14, 2, 130-135.
MacIntosh, J., Wuest, J., Gray, M., & Aldous, S. (2010). Effects of workplace bullying on how
women work. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 32, 7, 910-931.
Matthiesen, S. B., & Einarsen, S. (2004). Psychiatric distress and symptoms of PTSD among
victims of bullying at work. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 32, 3, 335-
356.
Ólafsson, R. F., & Jóhannsdóttir, H. L. (2004). Coping with bullying in the workplace: the effect
of gender, age and type of bullying. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 32, 3,
319-333.

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Pilch, I., & Turska, E. (2015). Relationships between machiavellianism, organizational culture,
and workplace bullying: Emotional abuse from the target’s and the perpetrator’s
perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 128, 1, 83-93.
Ramsay, S., Troth, A., & Branch, S. (2011). Work-place bullying: A group processes framework.
Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 84, 4, 799-816.