Workplace Abuse, Incivility and Bullying

Methodological and cultural perspectives

Maryam Omari, Megan Paull, Maryam Omari, Megan Paull

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781138316959
• eBook ISBN: 9781317577843
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

This book bridges an existing gap in the literature relating to the study of workplace abuse, incivility and bullying. It provides broad perspectives to capture some of the diversity associated with the study of (negative) human behaviours using different methodological approaches, and in different cultural contexts. Studies in the area have grown in leaps and bounds over the last few decades. As we come to know more about the nature of these adverse behaviours, the reasons they happen, and the impact they have on individuals and beyond, new gaps in knowledge emerge. On one hand the paucity of research is assisting in better understanding and management of these negative behaviours, on another, generalised information without an appreciation of the context in which the behaviours unfold may be detrimental to the cause, especially given a globalised and multicultural world.

Workplace Abuse, Incivility and Bullying presents findings from under-researched methodological, and unique cultural perspectives. Such an approach will allow us to gain deep insights into the diversity and complexities associated with perceiving, being subjected to, and experiencing negative behaviours at work. The book has applicability across a broad range of audience from academics through to practitioners, and even victims and suspected perpetrators.

Abbreviations

BRIC

Brazil, Russia, India and China

CEE

Central and Eastern European

CIA

Central Intelligence Agency

EE

Eastern European

EU

European Union

GDP

Gross Domestic Product

GLOBE

Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness

IT

Information Technology

ITES-BPO

Information Technology Enabled Services-Business Process Outsourcing

MNC

Multinational Corporation

NAQ

Negative Acts Questionnaire

NAQ-R

Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

US$

United States Dollar

USA

United States of America

WWI/II

World War I/II

1 Setting the scene

DOI: 10.4324/9781315739724-1

Workplace abuse, incivility and bullying – methodological and cultural perspectives

Maryam Omari

Megan Paull

Introduction

The main aim of this book is to bridge a gap in the literature relating to work-place abuse, incivility and bullying. The number of studies relating to inappropriate and negative workplace behaviours has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade. As the knowledge base relating to the nature of these adverse behaviours, the reasons they happen, and the impact they have on individuals, organisations and society grows, new gaps in knowledge are exposed. On one hand, growth in research is assisting in better understanding and management of these behaviours; on the other, generalised information without an understanding of context may be detrimental to the cause, especially given a globalised and multicultural world.

It is well recognised that the genesis of research on workplace bullying is attributed to Leymann and his work in Scandinavia/Northern Europe during late last century. In the years since his seminal works were published, researchers from different disciplinary bases (see D’Cruz this volume), paradigmatic and methodological perspectives (see Samnani this volume), and cultural backgrounds (see Meyer and Mikulincer this volume) have made valuable contributions to the field. This has further enriched the literature, and has been able to, and continues to, identify new perspectives on research and practice.

This book takes a unique perspective in that it has a focus on negative work-place behaviours by many names: abuse, incivility, bullying, mobbing, victimisation, unkind behaviours (see Pilch and Turska this volume), “forcing” (see Bozionelos this volume), and others. The reason this approach was adopted was to broaden the scope of the work, to be more inclusive, and to lay the groundwork for wider discussion and debate.

The aim is not to provide a definitive stance, but rather, to provide broad perspectives to capture some of the diversity associated with the study of (negative) human behaviour using different methodological approaches, in different cultural and professional (see Zábrodská and Květon this volume) contexts. The authors of each of the chapters have chosen a focus area and methodological approach based on what is accepted and prevalent in the cultural contexts of their home nations. Many of the chapters focus on under researched, seemingly homogenous (see Guneri-Cangarli this volume) or multicultural (see Loh this volume) settings. This allows deeper insights into the diversity and complexities associated with perceiving, experiencing and addressing negative behaviours at work in different contexts.

Contextual issues

Definitions of workplace abuse, incivility and bullying abound. Some share common elements including the notions of power imbalance, persistent behaviour and threats to health and safety. Power, for example, is not static and has different meanings in different cultural settings (see Omari and Sharma this volume). In Hofstede’s well-known cultural framework, different countries are positioned on a continuum between high and low on the power distance dimension, therefore expectations of appropriate behaviours in different global and multicultural settings may not be the same. The same behaviour may be perceived, construed, experienced, measured and interpreted in different ways.

Methodological issues have also been the subject of debate and discussion in the relevant literature. Much of the existing knowledge on the area has been derived from experimental designs in line with the positivist paradigm, and therefore quantitative in nature (see Paull and Girardi this volume). It is, however, well accepted that negative behaviours are subjective and interpreted through an ‘eye of the beholder’ perspective (see Omari and Sharma this volume). Different methodological approaches to the study of these negative behaviours can therefore only add richness and depth to the body of knowledge.

Negative behaviours, and the tolerance thereof, are also influenced by a context wider than just national or ethnic culture. In a globalised workplace, organisations not only compete within national boundaries but also internationally. Significant developments in the global arena, such as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), have wide reaching implications, not only in a financial sense, but also with respect to staffing levels and work intensification. As economies struggle and competition intensifies, more and more organisations are asking their staff to ‘do more with less’. In this context, processes are streamlined and jobs become scarce. This in turn creates environments where staff are placed under significant pressure to perform. These settings can, and do, result in a recalibration of what may be considered appropriate workplace behaviours. That is, in a competitive globalised world (see Samnani this volume), as external job opportunities remain static or decline, and the ability to leave and quickly find alternative employment is reduced, the threshold for negative workplace behaviours rises, in turn imprinting new norms into the very fabric and culture of an organisation or profession (Omari and Paull 2013). This can create situations where negative behaviours, including abuse, incivility and bullying become ingrained and tacitly accepted in workplace interactions.

The layout of this book

The main aim of this book was to bring different perspectives, methodological and cultural, to the study of workplace abuse, incivility and bullying. Influenced by Gannon and Pillai (2013), and their approach using metaphors to capture the essence of different countries and clusters of countries, the authors of each of the chapters in this book also used unique and culture specific descriptors (see Catley, Blackwood, Forsyth and Tappin this volume). The book is divided into two main sections: methodology and context, and country specific chapters, bookended by this chapter to set the scene and provide a preamble, and the final chapter bringing together implications for research and practice.

The following is a summary of each chapter:

Paradigmatic and methodological approaches

This chapter discusses the value of multiple perspectives and approaches to the study of negative behaviours at work. It provides detailed and relevant information on different paradigmatic approaches, and provides examples of how alternate methodological perspectives can be useful, and at times necessary, in understanding workplace abuse, incivility, bullying or similar behaviours.

Floorcraft: researching subjective phenomena

Practical considerations in researching the subjective phenomena of workplace abuse, incivility and bullying are the focus of this chapter. Within a context that considers organisational and cross-cultural perspectives, the discussion encourages the researcher to engage in ‘floorcraft’ to choreograph and perform quality research.

In the eye of the beholder: ethnic culture as a lens

Culture can be described as a lens through which different behaviours are observed, interpreted and experienced. The same behaviour may not have the same meaning in different cultural settings; interpreted through the ‘eye of the beholder’. This chapter discusses culture, diversity and ethnocentrism, and brings together, compares, and contrasts, various frameworks for classifying culture to set a frame of reference for the country specific chapters.

India: a paradoxical context for workplace bullying

India’s geography, history and sociocultural dynamics are complex and diverse. This chapter brings together the extant literature on workplace bullying in India, reporting on the perspectives of victim and bystander, and discussing organisational responses and legal provisions. It considers the tensions associated with recognising and addressing workplace bullying, while at the same time overlooking and denying what transpires.

Turkey: east of West, west of East

Studies report that the prevalence of workplace bullying in Turkey is higher than many other European countries at 40 per cent, with the country’s culture and behavioural norms all thought to be contributing. This chapter examines workplace bullying in Turkey in relation to its legal, cultural and socio-economic characteristics. It provides insights to support the development and application of country specific prevention, and intervention strategies.

Greece: incivility, bullying and forcing in the land of bullying gods and lesser mortals

The only known study of workplace bullying in Greece reports rates similar to those of other European countries. The discussion of the context and culture of Greece, however, provides unique insights and points to the possibility of a higher prevalence of the behaviour. This chapter also introduces the notion of ‘forcing’–signifying situations where individuals are forced by others to perform tasks and activities that are contained in others’ work roles.

Poland: one nation, one religion–tradition and change

Research on workplace bullying/mobbing in Poland is relatively new with mixed results and findings. This chapter provides a snapshot of the small amount of existing research, the legislative frameworks, and preventative measures applied in Poland in the context of Polish history and national culture. The chapter calls for country specific research on organisational causes and consequences of bullying in Poland as a prelude to introducing policies and procedures to manage mobbing.

Czech Republic: workplace abuse in a post-transitional country

This chapter discusses workplace abuse in the Czech Republic: a nation in transition. The work environment in the country is described as being shaped by the legacy of the communist era, as well as the recent expansion of neoliberalism. Using their own research into workplace bullying in Czech academia as a case study, the authors explore how these forces intersect with the country’s cultural profile.

Merlion: the influence of Singapore's cosmopolitan culture on workplace incivility

The focus of this chapter is on workplace incivility, identifying a dearth of research on this topic in Eastern countries such as Singapore. It considers the relationship of culture to workplace incivility through exploration of the country’s profile and cultural features. Findings to date suggest that workplace incivility is accepted in Singapore, in part due to cultural influences.

Israel: a land of contrasts–the contribution of attachment orientations, gender and ethical climate in the workplace to abusive supervision

This chapter focuses on abusive supervision in Israel. It depicts characteristics of Israeli life and culture, focusing on values and norms relevant to the work-place. Reference is made to the contribution of attachment orientations, gender and ethical climate to abusive supervision in a mental healthcare organisation. Specific discussions relate to intrapersonal, interpersonal and organisational level interactions in the context of the country’s culture and values.

Workplace bullying in New Zealand: 'she'll be right?'

The poor performance of New Zealand's health and safety system has been directly attributed to cultural values. This chapter explores the dynamics of workplace bullying and suggests the ways in which aspects of national cultural values may be contributing to the prevalence of the problem. It argues that a positive slant on the 'she'll be right' attitude has served New Zealanders well in a number of contexts, but not necessarily for health and safety.

Australia: the ‘fair go’ multicultural continent nation

Workplaces in Australia are multicultural, characterised by diverse value systems, providing different lenses through which interpersonal interactions are experienced, perceived and interpreted. Australians pride themselves on a ‘fair go’ for all, while at the same time not necessarily always welcoming diversity or new migrants. This chapter discusses inherent abuse, incivility and bullying issues in Australian workplaces.

Workplace abuse, incivility and bullying: the challenge ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Table Of Contents
• Workplace Abuse, Incivility and Bullying
• Abbreviations
• Index