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Bullying

Managing Conflict Escalation in the Workplace Dieter Zapf 13th September 2006 South Australian College of Organisational Psychologists Adelaide, Australia. Bullying. Overview. 1) Introduction: The concept of mobbing/bullying 2) Some empirical results 3) The causes of mobbing/bullying

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Bullying

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  1. Managing Conflict Escalation in the WorkplaceDieter Zapf13th September 2006South Australian College of OrganisationalPsychologistsAdelaide, Australia Bullying

  2. Overview 1) Introduction: The concept of mobbing/bullying 2) Some empirical results 3) The causes of mobbing/bullying 4) Mobbing/bullying and health: Does the definition of mobbing/bullying make a difference? 5) Conflict escalation and coping with mobbing/bullying 6) Intervention

  3. 1) Introduction: • The Concept of Mobbing/Bullying

  4. A Case – Assistant Nurse Ms. S. • Ms.S. worked in a small hospital for several years; strong hierarchy • She was an assistant nurse with less education than her colleagues • But had a lot of job experience and most of the time did the same work as did her colleagues • However, if everybody was on board, she had to carry out lower level tasks • She also had to do more night shifts and shifts at weekends • She thought that this was unfair, and one day in a meeting she addressed this issue • Now she had a problem with the other nurses and the medical doctors. • She was accused of disturbing the good climate in the group, • and, of course challenged informal privileges of others • She was exposed to minor aggressive verbal acts; people went silent when she entered the room • By and by the situation got worse • She was recommended to sign off by her supervisor, because nobody wanted to work with her anymore • Her work was manipulated and mistakes of others were assigned to her. • She got more and more isolated because others were afraid to receive a similar treatment • In the beginning she strongly tried to defend herself. However, this led to even more harassment • After a while she got seriously sick. She became very anxious when thinking about going to work again • This anxiety generalized and led to more and more isolation • Panic attacks, suicide thoughts, psychopharmacological treatment • After 2 years psychotherapy and • Because of a major change in management she had a chance to go back to work • She had good luck and everything went well

  5. Concepts related to Negative Social Behaviour • Workplace Bullying • Workplace Mobbing • Workplace Aggression • Workplace Incivility • Workplace Harassment • Workplace Deviance • Social Undermining • Emotional Abuse • Abusive Supervision • Antisocial Behavior • Counterproductive Behavior Relationship between Negative Social Behaviour and Health c.f. Keashly & Jagatic (2003)

  6. Negative Social Behaviour at Work Making fun of a person’s private life Refusal to be talked to Assigning degrading tasks Rumours Assigning senseless tasks Being treated like air Shouting at or cursing loud at a person

  7. Negative Social Behaviour at Work Making fun of a person’s private life However: Not every negative social behaviour at work is Bullying or Mobbing! Refusal to be talked to Assigning degrading tasks Rumours Assigning senseless tasks Being treated like air Shouting at or cursing loud at a person

  8. Bullying (Mobbing, emotional abuse) Bullying and related Concepts Escalation - Escalation -Escalation - Escalation Relationship Conflicts Workplace Aggression Social Undermining Incivility at Work Organizational Injustice, Lack of Reciprocity Negative social behaviour at work

  9. Everybody is affected Unsystematic Occasional or prolonging Seldom or frequent (Un-) equal power structure Targeted at a particular person Systematic Prolonging (1/2 year) Frequent (once a week) Unequal power structure Negative Social Behaviour and Bullying Negative Social Behaviour Bullying/Mobbing

  10. Definition of Mobbing/Bullying Mobbing/Bullying occurs, if • somebody becomes a target and • is systematically harassed, offended, socially excluded or has to carry out humiliating tasks and • the person concerned gets into an inferior position with difficulties to defend him/herself. • Mobbing/bullying behaviour must occur repeatedly (e.g., at least once a week) • and for a long time (e.g., at least six months). • It is not mobbing/bullying if it is a single event or occasional event. • It is also not mobbing/bullying if two equally strong parties are in conflict (cf. Einarsen, 2000; Einarsen et al., 2003; Hoel, Rayner & Cooper, 1999; Leymann, 1993; Zapf, 1999a).

  11. V Different Perspectives of Harassment and Bullying/Mobbing at Work B B B B B B Bullying/Mobbing: The victim oriented perspective

  12. Different Perspectives of Harassment and Bullying/Mobbing at Work V V V B V V V Bullying/Mobbing: The bully oriented perspective

  13. Different Perspectives of Harassment and Bullying/Mobbing at Work V • less intensity for the victims • supportive social network possible V V B V V V Bullying/Mobbing: The bully’s perspective

  14. Different Perspectives of Harassment and Bullying/Mobbing at Work Harassment/Negative Social Behaviour: Everybody might be affected

  15. 2) Some Empirical Results

  16. Prevalence of Intimidation at Work in the European Union Member States (Paoli & Merllié, 2001) Over the past 12 months, have you been subjected to intimidation? Yes – no % yes

  17. Prevalence of Intimidation at Work in the European Union Member States (Paoli & Merllié, 2001) Over the past 12 months, have you been subjected to intimidation? Yes – no • The prevalence of harassment: • - a question of culture • - a question of measurement % yes

  18. The Frequency of Bullying/Mobbing Depending on how it is Measured • 1) Direct question: ”Have you been bullied during the last 6 months?”(10 – 25% mobbing) • 2) Leymann criterion: Administering a questionnaire; response to at least one item should be: happens at least once a week, and for at least 6 months (3 – 7 % mobbing) (occasionally been bullied: 7 – 10 %) • 3) Presentation of a precise definition and instruction(1- 4% mobbing) (occasionally been bullied: 7 – 10 %)

  19. Frequency of Bullying/Mobbing in Europe

  20. Average Duration of Bullying in Months

  21. Bullying/Mobbing and Organisational Position of the Perpetrators

  22. Bullying/Mobbing Strategies • 1. Organisational measures Ex.: - Forcing sb. to carry out tasks affecting his/her self-consciousness - Assigning senseless tasks to the person concerned • 2. Social isolation Ex.: - Refusal to talk to the person concerned • 3. Attacking the victim’s private life Ex.: - Imitating a person’s gait, voice or gestures to make him/her look stupid - Making fun of a person’s private life • 4. Verbal aggression • Ex.: - Shouting at or cursing loud at a person • - Permanently criticising a person’s work • 5.Rumours • Ex.: - Saying nasty things about a person behind his/her back • 6. Physical aggression • Ex.: - Sexual approaches and sexual offers • - Minor use of violence From Zapf, Knorz & Kulla, (1996)European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology Not typical for bullying/mobbing

  23. Overview 3) The Causes of Mobbing/Bullying

  24. Zapf (1999). International Journal of Manpower

  25. Causes of Bullying/Mobbing from the Victims' Perspective

  26. Causes of Bullying/Mobbing in the Perpetrator • Threat of self-esteem • Low social competence • Micro-political mobbing • Sociopathic Personality • Personal motives (e.g. love affair) • Personal problems (e.g. alcohol)

  27. Causes of Bullying/Mobbing in the Perpetrator-Threat of self- esteem Stucke (2002) Baumeister et al. Positive self concept: High self-esteem Reassure yourself and demonstrate to others how great you are Direct and indirect aggression Unstable self-esteem Self-esteem: synonyms & related concepts: - self-worth - Respect - Reputation - dignity - honour (Threat of) Negative evaluations from others

  28. Causes of Bullying/Mobbing in the Perpetrator-Low social competence • Individuals low in social competence • Produce conflicts • Are bad conflict managers • Are not good in perspective taking • Do not recognise that single actions of several perpetrators are perceived as frequent and systematic from the victim‘s point of view

  29. Different Perspectives of Bullying/Mobbing Isolated independent events Events related and intentional

  30. Mobbing in Different Branches in Germany From Zapf (1999). Zeitschrift für Arbeits- & Organisationspsychologie

  31. Mobbing in Different Branches in Germany More mobbing/bullying in organizations where jobs are secure Less mobbing/bullying in organizations with a hire and fire mentality From Zapf (1999). Zeitschrift für Arbeits- & Organisationspsychologie

  32. Organisational Causes of Bullying/Mobbing

  33. Causes of Mobbing in the Victim and in the Social Group After Zapf (1999). Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie

  34. Causes of Mobbing in the Victim and in the Social Group - Risk Factors • Social Exclusion- Deviating characteristics; outsider position- Devaluation, scapegoat phenomenon • Low in Emotional Stability - Neuroticism, anxious and depressive • Low Social Competence and Self-esteem- Producing conflicts; anxious and depressive behaviour- Poor conflict handling skills, conflict avoidance- Poor in perspective taking • Achievement Orientation clashing with Group Norms- Employees high in achievement orientation clash with group norms- opinionated individuals, rigid behaviour - seek outsider position

  35. 4) Mobbing/Bullying and Health: Does the definition of mobbing/bullying make a difference?

  36. Does the Definition of Mobbing/Bullying Matter? • High Levels of Negative Social Acts NSA • escalated relationship conflicts • High workplace aggression • High incivility or social undermining • High organizational injustice and • Wider definitions of bullying/mobbing and • Bullying/mobbing according to a • restrictive definition: • at least 6 months, • at least once a week • self-labelling • Systematically aimed at a particular person • Powerlessness – No-control situation Are any high levels of NSA the same as bullying? Do victimization and powerlessness matter?

  37. Psychosomatic Complaints depending on Nega-tive Social Acts (NSA) and Bullying/Mobbing Overall mean of psychosomatic complaints 2.10 – 2.20 NSA > 97%: 2,68

  38. Bullying as an Extreme Stress Situation Zapf & Einarsen (2005)

  39. 5) Conflict Escalation and Coping with Mobbing/Bullying

  40. Bullying as a Conflict • Definition of Conflict:Conflict is a process that begins when one party perceives that the other has negatively affected or is about to negatively affect, something that he or she cares about Thomas (1992)

  41. Conflict Behaviour of Bullying VictimsQualitative Study refers to individuals' attempts to raise the alarm within the organization or air grievance person decides to leave the organization Doing nothing with regard to the conflict but actively demon-strating one's commit-ment points to removal or withdrawal of commitment From Zapf & Gross (2001). European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology

  42. Conflict Behaviour of Bullying VictimsQualitative Study refers to individuals' attempts to raise the alarm within the organization or air grievance person decides to leave the organization Bullying/Mobbing can be characterised as a series of failed conflict management trials There are no simple solutions! Doing nothing with regard to the conflict but actively demon-strating one's commit-ment points to removal or withdrawal of commitment From Zapf & Gross (2001). European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology

  43. In average, 72 bullying victims answered the diary Victims reported 13,5 social conflicts occurring in a period of 2 months 2 conflicts per week conflicts in 36% of all working days In average, 87 non- victims answered the diary Non-Victims reported 7,6 social conflicts occurring in a period of 2 months 1 conflict per week conflicts in 20% of all working days Conflict Behaviour of Bullying VictimsResults of a Diary Study (N=1618 conflicts) (Groß, 2003)

  44. Bullying - Conflict - Conflict Handling I Results of a Diary Study (N=512 conflicts of victims; 262 conflicts of control group) (Groß, 2003)

  45. Bullying - Conflict - Conflict Handling IIResults of a Diary Study (Groß, 2003) Social conflicts at work of the bullying victim are characterised by • a lower overall manageability (d=.55), in detail by a • higher probability of reoccurrence (d=.28) • less chance of spontaneous improvement of the situation (d=.36) • less influence/controllability (d=.44) • higher inferiority of the victim (d=.54) Supports the “difficulties to defend themselves“ element of the bullying definition

  46. Glas‘s (1982) Model of Conflict Escalation Only one party will survive

  47. Glas‘s Model of Conflict Escalation Restrictive definition Wider definition Economically “unreasonable“ Economically “reasonable“

  48. Why the Conflicts Occurred – Diary Study

  49. Extreme Bullying is Destructive for both Parties • Questionnaire study of Meschkutat et al. (2002): • 11,1% of the victims reported that the bullies were transferred within the company • 8,2% of the victims reported that the bullies were dismissed negative consequences for at least 20% of the bullies • This does not include other disadvantages such worse career perspectives, loss of reputation, loss of influence, etc.

  50. Level of Conflict Escalation and Intervention Strategies From Zapf & Gross (2001). European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology SociotherapeuticProcess Assistance Process Assistance

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