Previous studies have established that for some people a typical day at work starts with immense feelings of distress, anxiety and irritability caused by workplace bullying. Not only does bullying behaviour in the workplace have a negative impact on a person’s professional life, but it is also detrimental to the effectiveness of the organisation. A survey focussing on the perceived exposure to bullying and victimisation in the workplace was administered to a sample of 159 employees employed by a mine in Mpumalanga. The results uncovered that more than a quarter of the participants reported that they had experienced workplace bullying. The study also discovered that line managers experienced more negative acts than senior managers. While those who only experience a brief spell of bullying behaviour at work survive their experience relatively unscathed, previous studies have also indicated that others are affected in a significant physical and psychological way. In conclusion this study determined that workplace bullying is an actual occurrence, not only internationally but also in South Africa. Employees and employers can therefore only benefit from understanding this unique workplace phenomenon. This article provides the opportunity for employed people to recognise the nature and prevalence of workplace bullying in order to prevent it from becoming a silent epidemic. Researchers generally accept that bullying is behaviour that is aggressive or negative and carried out repeatedly. Previous research established that bullying can occur in any context where people interact. This article open by synthesising a conceptual framework of negative acts as an interactive form of organisational behaviour from the available literature. Empirical research was done in order to investigate the prevalence of negative acts. The study found that more than a quarter of the participants had experienced bullying at some stage during their career with managers and supervisors predominantly reported as the perpetrators. The study also found that behaviour that tends to isolate individuals was generally reported as the most frequently experienced form of negative acts. By understanding workplace bullying both employers will be able to implement influence strategies aimed at dealing with this workplace phenomenon at levels of protection, intervention and dispute resolution. In conclusion it has been established that workplace bullying is not only a real problem in international workplaces, but also in South Africa. This means that employers not only have to cope with the consequences of employees performing badly but also behaving badly. This article presents an opportunity to understand negative behaviour in the workplace. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Detta examensarbete innehåller en kvalitativ undersökning om vuxenmobbning. Syftet med studien var att öka förståelsen för de fysiska och psykiska konsekvenserna av vuxenmobbning inklusive användandet av försvarsmekanismer. Studien syftade även till att undersöka de utsattas upplevelser av sjukvården i samband med att de har sökt hjälp för mobbningen. Resultatet bygger på två tematiska analyser av fem stycken frågeformulär med öppna frågor som har besvarats av personer som har utsatts för mobbning i vuxen ålder. De teman som framkom var; depression, tappat umgänge, negativ påverkan på arbetssituationen, försvarsmekanismer och brist på kunskap och resurser inom sjukvården. Resultatet visar att mobbning påverkar människor uteslutande negativt och den mest allvarliga konsekvensen av mobbning är depression. Detta för att depression kan leda till självmordstankar och självmordsförsök. Inom sjukvården fanns flera upplevda brister gällande mobbning och den största var brist på kunskap och resurser eftersom det leder till att människor inte blir tagna på allvar och inte får nog mycket hjälp i tid. Medvetenheten om mobbning måste öka för att förebyggande arbete ska kunna tillämpas på arbetsplatsen men också på andra platser där mobbning kan förekomma. / This thesis includes a qualitative study on adult bullying. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical and psychological consequences of adult bullying including the use of defense mechanisms. The study also aimed to investigate the victims experiences of the healthcare as they have sought help for the bullying. The results are based on two thematic analyses of five questionnaires with open questions which have been answered by people who have been victims of bullying in adulthood. The themes that emerged were; depression, loss of association, negative impact on the work situation, defense mechanisms and lack of knowledge and resources within healthcare. The results show that bullying affects people exclusively negatively and the most severe consequence of bullying is depression. This is because depression could lead to suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide. There were several experienced flaws within the healthcare on bullying and the most severe was lack of knowledge and resources because people are not taken seriously and they don’t receive enough with help in time. The awareness of bullying has to increase in order to make preventive action against bullying in the workplace and other places where bullying may occur.

Previous studies have established that for some people a typical day at work starts with immense feelings of distress, anxiety and irritability caused by workplace bullying. Not only does bullying behaviour in the workplace have a negative impact on a person’s professional life, but it is also detrimental to the effectiveness of the organisation. A survey focussing on the perceived exposure to bullying and victimisation in the workplace was administered to a sample of 159 employees employed by a mine in Mpumalanga. The results uncovered that more than a quarter of the participants reported that they had experienced workplace bullying. The study also discovered that line managers experienced more negative acts than senior managers. While those who only experience a brief spell of bullying behaviour at work survive their experience relatively unscathed, previous studies have also indicated that others are affected in a significant physical and psychological way. In conclusion this study determined that workplace bullying is an actual occurrence, not only internationally but also in South Africa. Employees and employers can therefore only benefit from understanding this unique workplace phenomenon. This article provides the opportunity for employed people to recognise the nature and prevalence of workplace bullying in order to prevent it from becoming a silent epidemic. Researchers generally accept that bullying is behaviour that is aggressive or negative and carried out repeatedly. Previous research established that bullying can occur in any context where people interact. This article open by synthesising a conceptual framework of negative acts as an interactive form of organisational behaviour from the available literature. Empirical research was done in order to investigate the prevalence of negative acts. The study found that more than a quarter of the participants had experienced bullying at some stage during their career with managers and supervisors predominantly reported as the perpetrators. The study also found that behaviour that tends to isolate individuals was generally reported as the most frequently experienced form of negative acts. By understanding workplace bullying both employers will be able to implement influence strategies aimed at dealing with this workplace phenomenon at levels of protection, intervention and dispute resolution. In conclusion it has been established that workplace bullying is not only a real problem in international workplaces, but also in South Africa. This means that employers not only have to cope with the consequences of employees performing badly but also behaving badly. This article presents an opportunity to understand negative behaviour in the workplace. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Bullying is a pervasive event that affects individuals in a variety of ways. For example, bullied individuals display an array of psychological and related psychosocial problems associated with victimization. There is a push for a transformation in the bullying paradigm to include the psychological and psychosocial symptomologies of both the perpetrator and victim. This study addressed the lack of qualitative research on coping mechanisms for adult victims of bullying. Due to the pervasive nature of the phenomena, the following was explored: (a) descriptions of bullying as expressed by adult victims, (b) adult victims' coping processes and methods, and (c) adult victims' emotional responses to being bullied. A qualitative phenomenological research approach was applied to understand the lived experiences of this population. The theoretical framework was based on Folkman and Lazarus's transactional model of stress and coping. Eight individuals participated in the study and face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant. Based on the results of interviews and thematic analysis, the majority of participants (34%) reported that job-related demands and coercion such as social exclusion, cyberthreats, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, job-related intimidation, and physical harm were the main forms of bullying experienced. The coping process adopted by 62% of the participants was to remain calm during the bullying incident. However, 62% used retaliatory confrontation as their main coping method. Mental stress was the main emotional response to bullying. The findings of this study can inform the adoption of positive social change policy actions that promote resiliency among bullied adults at the community level and within organizational settings.

Workplace bullying has detrimental effects on victims and organizations. Research from the bully's perspective is lacking resulting in unknown causes for the aggressive behavior. Research indicates some child bullies have histories of maltreatment and that bullying may persist throughout adulthood. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to examine associations between workplace bullying and childhood abuse/neglect, actual or perceived current victimization, attachment style, and the desire to gain social dominance. An examination of the possible influence of social dominance on the relationship between abuse and workplace bullying was also included. Social dominance theory and attachment theory provided the framework for the study. The sample consisted of 126 adult men and women. The survey instrument included the Bullying Behavior Scale, Social Dominance Q-Scale, Social Dominance Orientation Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Coercion and Conflict Scale, and Adult Attachment Scale. Data analysis included ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. ANOVA results indicated significant associations between low- to mid-range incomes and certain industries and workplace bullying. There was a negative correlation between the relationship workplace bullying and childhood abuse/neglect. Results for domestic violence, social dominance need, and attachment style were not significant. There were no moderating effects of social dominance on the occurrence of workplace bullying and childhood abuse/neglect. Improvements to workplace environments and coping programs for bullies might result from this study's outcome.

This essay will focus on the psychosocial work environment, harassment and bullying at the workplace. As the essay is written as a part of the human resources program, the topics are discussed from a human resource management perspective. Harassment and bullying are highlighted on the basis of a labor law perspective where the focus is on the prevention work. The essay is based on analysis of law, the preparatory work for new laws and regulations, rules and regulations from the Swedish work environment authority, case law and doctrine, and is supplemented by interviews.   Harassed and bullied can in everyday speech sometimes be used as synonyms for one another. From a labor law perspective, the concepts, however, are not at all equivalent. Harassment and bullying are treated in different ways in the Swedish labor law. The essay examines how the cases of harassment are distributed on the different grounds of discrimination and why the Swedish legislator by law has chosen to provide an additional protection for groups with certain attributes and characteristics. The essay examines the question of why the Swedish legislators have chosen to regulate harassment and bullying in different laws as the psychological and social consequences for the individual as well as the working group are often the same.   The study also examines how the employer's obligations differ in situations of harassment and bullying. Methods and a checklist for preventing harassment and bullying in the workplace are presented. The essay shows that employer' obligations for preventing, investigating and attending to cases of harassment and bullying are equivalent but when these obligations are not met, the implications will be different. The consequence for the individual will be that he or she in some cases of bullying won’t have any option but to rely on the employer's goodwill and interest of having a workplace free from bullying.

<p>This essay will focus on the psychosocial work environment, harassment and bullying at the workplace. As the essay is written as a part of the human resources program, the topics are discussed from a human resource management perspective. Harassment and bullying are highlighted on the basis of a labor law perspective where the focus is on the prevention work. The essay is based on analysis of law, the preparatory work for new laws and regulations, rules and regulations from the Swedish work environment authority, case law and doctrine, and is supplemented by interviews.</p><p> </p><p>Harassed and bullied can in everyday speech sometimes be used as synonyms for one another. From a labor law perspective, the concepts, however, are not at all equivalent. Harassment and bullying are treated in different ways in the Swedish labor law. The essay examines how the cases of harassment are distributed on the different grounds of discrimination and why the Swedish legislator by law has chosen to provide an additional protection for groups with certain attributes and characteristics. The essay examines the question of why the Swedish legislators have chosen to regulate harassment and bullying in different laws as the psychological and social consequences for the individual as well as the working group are often the same.</p><p> </p><p>The study also examines how the employer's obligations differ in situations of harassment and bullying. Methods and a checklist for preventing harassment and bullying in the workplace are presented. The essay shows that employer' obligations for preventing, investigating and attending to cases of harassment and bullying are equivalent but when these obligations are not met, the implications will be different. The consequence for the individual will be that he or she in some cases of bullying won’t have any option but to rely on the employer's goodwill and interest of having a workplace free from bullying.</p>