Resilience as an Underexplored Outcome of Workplace Bullying

The problem of workplace bullying appears to be especially common in the hospitality industry and in health, education, and social services. Bullying results in negative effects on the psychological and physical health and well-being of targets, bystanders, and those accused of bullying. I undertook...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Qualitative health research 2013-03, Vol.23 (3), p.291-301
Main Author: van Heugten, Kate
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Bullying
Bullying - psychology
Bystanders
Depressive Disorder - diagnosis
Depressive Disorder - psychology
Female
Health status
Health technology assessment
Humans
Impact analysis
Internal-External Control
Job Satisfaction
Male
Middle Aged
New Zealand
Psychophysiologic Disorders - diagnosis
Psychophysiologic Disorders - psychology
Qualitative Research
Resilience
Resilience, Psychological
Self Concept
Social psychology
Social Work
Social workers
Somatoform Disorders - diagnosis
Somatoform Disorders - psychology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Workload - psychology
Workplace violence
Workplace Violence - psychology
Workplaces
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Summary:The problem of workplace bullying appears to be especially common in the hospitality industry and in health, education, and social services. Bullying results in negative effects on the psychological and physical health and well-being of targets, bystanders, and those accused of bullying. I undertook a qualitative research project to investigate the experiences of 17 New Zealand social workers who identified themselves as having been targets of workplace bullying. All participants had experienced negative physical and psychological health impacts. I also found, however, that in the aftermath of their difficult experiences, most considered that they had eventually developed greater resilience. Resilience was enhanced when participants’ sense of control over their situation improved and when they received support from witnesses and managers. I make recommendations to indicate how these resilience-promoting conditions can be achieved in the organizational setting.
ISSN:1049-7323
1552-7557
DOI:10.1177/1049732312468251