The Impact of Workplace Bullying

When most people think of bullying, they conceptualize schoolyard toughs terrorizing their helpless, weaker peers just as they have done for centuries. The harsh reality today, though, is that bullying is also pervasive in the American workplace today. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review and summary of Weidmer’s (2010) journal article concerning workplace bullying and its impact on both the victims and their organizations together with an applicable scenario based on personal experiences, including representative bullying practices. Finally, recommendations concerning strategies that management should implement to reduce the prevalence of workplace bullying are followed by a summary of the research and key findings concerning these issues in the conclusion.

While nearly three-quarters (72%) of all workplace bullying is perpetrated by individuals in positions of authority, and a majority (60%) are male, anyone can be a workplace bully or victim (Weidmer, 2010). In addition, minority members and LGBTQ individuals are especially at risk of workplace bullying (Who is at risk, 2018). It is important to note that more than one individual can by bullies or the bullied. For instance, the term “workplace bullying” is defined by Weidmer as “the repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators” (p. 35). Workplace bullying generally assumes one of or a combination of the following forms: (a) verbal abuse; (b) offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating, or intimidating; and 9c) work interference—sabotage—which prevents work from getting done (Weidmer, 2010, p. 35). Taken together, it is clear that any of these activities can make the workplace a living hell for the victims, many of whom must endure the abuse for lack of other employment opportunities (Ca4den & Boyd, 2013). Just as a prison and schoolyard code exists that discourages anyone from reporting instances of bullying (“snitches get stitches”), however, so too is the workplace characterized by such a code of silence. This means that workplace bullying can be insidious and persistent, creating a toxic work environment for victims whose performance is invariably adversely affected (Weidmer, 2010).

Although relatively minor in impact compared to some other forms of workplace bullying, one personal incident that is relevant to this discussion concerned a response to an email sent to all affected division heads concerning a routine violation of corporate policy by employees in the finance department; in response to this email, I receive a threatening email that insulted my judgment and made it clear that if I ever did this again, I would be physically attacked by the head of the finance department. Referrals of this email exchange to the organization’s legal department failed to obtain any results and I was compelled to change jobs as a result.

Therefore, organizations must take proactive steps in order to ensure that incidents of workplace bullying are identified and resolved at the early opportunity in order to minimize the harm to the organization’s performance as well as reducing the risk that workplace bullying represents from a legal perspective (Carden & Boyd, 2013).Some of the steps that this and similarly situated organizations can take to prevent workplace bullying include implementing a zero-tolerance policy and encourage reporting by all employees and cultivate an organizational culture of mutual respect that discourages workplace bullying (Weidmer, 2010).

References

Carden, L. L. & Boyd, R. G. (2013, January 1). Workplace bullying: Utilizing a risk management framework to address bullying in the workplace. Southern Journal of Business and Ethics, 5, 8-11.

Who is at risk. (2018). U.S. Government. Retrieved from https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/index.html.

Wiedmer, T. L. (2010). Workplace bullying: Costly and preventable. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 77(2), 35-41.