Introduction
Workplace bullying is not a result of situation. I strongly believe that situation can be a trigger of bullying but the true reasons of bullying in the workplace are embedded in flawed personalities of workers. Workplace bullying has negative impact on the overall environment in the company; it affects professional relations and minimizes productivity. Eventually, workplace bullies undermine the job satisfaction of other employees who may even consider leaving their place of employment. Therefore, workplace bullying should be among top priorities for managers.
Discussion
Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik, an Assistant Professor Department of Communication and Journalism at University of New Mexico, noted that bullies tend to be unstable, have high self-esteem but lack the ability to experience empathy. Employees with low self-control, personal volatility, negative affectivity, and those who are exposed to domestic violence are likely to become individual bullies at work. Moreover, alcohol and drug abuse, past aggressive behavior, low communication proficiencies and efforts to gain political power may eventually lead to bullying at workplace.
According to the Mental Health Association, workplace bullying can be prevented if managed 1) identify who the bully is and what exactly is being done; 2) keep a written record of all bullying incidents; 3) talk to people about bullying and its administrative consequences; 4) inform upper level managers about the bullying. Bullies choose employees who appear to be weak/submissive or excessively aggressive. Sometimes, bullying may result from the failure to follow established group norms. Overachievers, for example, are often disliked by co-workers. While the causes of bulling at workplace as well as prevention strategies are well-known to managers, one important aspect should be kept in mind: bullies have flawed personalities and they should be approached seriously. In many cases, professional help of psychologist may be necessary. The last resort is to terminate a bully and restore positive atmosphere at the workplace.
As official statistics suggest, 37 percent of the American workforce (54 million employees) have been bullied sometime during their work life (Bryner). Researchers point out that these figures are enough to state that workplace bullying is a national epidemic. Moreover, workplace bullies are flawed personalities and it gives confidence to conclude that bulling is a part of American culture. In other words, people consider bullying normal. Undoubtedly, victims do not share the same assumption. David Yamada, Suffolk University Law School in Boston, noted, “Targets of severe workplace bullying are suffering from physical and psychological conditions that would just drive even the strongest of us into the ground” (cited in Bryner).
Conclusion
I strongly believe that workplace bullying is related to personalities of bullies. In other words, bullying is a matter of personal values, attitudes and even education. Bullies do not respect their co-workers and undermine the positive working atmosphere. Moreover, bullying makes it hardly possible for many employees to work productively. Managers should pay close attention to bullying at the workplace as motivation of employees is an important factor of company’s success. Bullying in the workplace is a matter of personality flaws and it is a primary responsibility of a manager to create motivating working atmosphere. Employees should feel valued and protected; otherwise, will not be motivated to increase productivity. Finally, bullies should be warned about the consequences of their actions and words. Managers should make it clear to employees that bullying is not tolerated.
Works Cited
- Bryner, Jeanna. “Workplace Bullying Epidemic Worse Than Sexual Harassment”. Live Science Online Journal, 2008. Web.
- Lutgen-Sandvik, Pamela. “Workplace Bullying: Causes, Consequences, and Interventions”.
- Mental Health Association. Workplace Bullying. Web.