Bullying in the Academic Workplace
Kiley Harris
Dr. Jones
When people hear the word bullying, they often relate it with adolescent children. The tiny kid being shoved into a locker, or someone’s lunch money being stolen are some examples that quickly come to mind. However, what is frequently overlooked is that bullying takes place in the workforce as well, especially in the academic workforce. Priscilla Hall, author of “Bullying and the Teacher”, states that:
“Bullying is recognized as a playground problem. Teachers are trained to identify bullies and provide proper mediation between bullies and their victims. Failure to do so has been cited as a likely cause of school violence. However, those same educators may not recognize and identify bullies in the workplace who take their toll on teachers themselves” (2005, p. 45).
Bullying between faculty members has been neglected, but serious attention must be paid to the issue so it can finally be resolved. But, to begin, we must first look at who become targets for bullies and the characteristics and actions of these bullies. We will then look at bullying among teachers and the effects it has in the academic workplace. Finally, we will discover ways to address and prevent this juvenile behavior.
According to Leymann, (1996) workplace bullying, also known as “mobbing”, can be defined as,
“Psychological terror or mobbing in working life involves hostile and unethical communication which is directed in a systematic manner by one or more individuals, mainly toward one individual, who, due to mobbing, is pushed into a helpless and defenseless position and held there by means of continuing mobbing activities” pg#? (1996).
These actions usually take place very frequently and over a long period of time (Leymann, 1996). Today, our society as a whole is becoming more and more “me-centered”, which makes it less surprising that people are focused more on them and less on how they treat other people (Peyton, 2003, p.4).
Dr.
Gary Naime, the creator of the website, Workplace Bullying Institute,
researched a study and found that thirty-seven percent of
“Mobbing typically occurs to workers who are high achievers and are personally invested in what seems to be a secure position, but who cannot easily relocate. Thus, many people working in a tenure and tenure-track positions may be at higher risk for mobbing” (Halbur, 2005).
Untenured teachers are often targeted and often feel highly stressed because of their vastly scrutinized work (Halbur, 2005).
There are also other groups that are targeted more than others. These days, more and more people are working on shorter contracts. Those people have high vulnerability of getting bullied because they are constantly working to get their contract and do not have a stable job. They tend to put up with harassment more because of the fear of losing their job. Another susceptible group is lower status employees such as apprentices or juniors. They again, are too afraid to speak up to mobbing because of the fright of losing their current job (Peyton, 2003, p. 57-59). Dr. Naime says that independent, skilled bright people are a big target because they are a threat to these bullies (1998). Adult bullies will choose the most self-confident, intelligent people to target, unlike children bullies, who will go after the weakest child (Hall, 2005, p. 47). Minorities, people with disabilities, inexperienced employers, shy or quiet employers, young employers, and even employers that are too old and outdated have also been aimed at (Peyton, 2003, p. 57-59).
These target groups are harassed in many different ways. Dr. Leymann states that bullying can consist of both physical and psychological harm. However, physical harm is rarely ever seen in the workforce. Mobbing deals with more sensitive, deceiving actions, but yet still have the same stigmatizing affects as physical bullying (1996). According to the author Pauline Peyton, “Bullying behaviors are rarely isolated incidents. Furthermore, the first incident usually signals the beginning of a soon-to-be established pattern. While single incidents may be seen as too subtle to be considered bullying, added together and viewed as a series, the pattern emerges” (2003).
There are several behaviors that are considered bullying in the workplace. One behavior is undermining one’s authority. This is when a boss takes away the tasks that accompany a job such as not being allowed to answer phone calls even though one is a secretary, or not allowed to lead group projects even though one is a project manager. Another bullying action is changing deadlines. Some bosses will set unrealistic due dates that make employers work on weekends and long hours, and in return will look at the project a week later. So-called humor is another behavior that bullies perform (Peyton, 2003, p. 47-50). “Practical jokes or inappropriate humor cannot be passed off as ‘all in good fun; we were only having a laugh’ or ‘it’s him – he can take a joke.’ Humor at someone else’s expense is not funny – it’s bullying” (Peyton, 2003, p. 50). These are just a few examples of ways that mobbing can take place in the work atmosphere. There are an infinite number of ways to bully someone. Many people will do not just one thing, but a number of behaviors to manipulate the person at aim. For instance, if your bully is your boss and you are the “’independent, bright, skilled worker’, all he has to do is constrain creativity, pile on impossible burdens, or steal credit for the target's work” (Naime, 1998).
Because there are so many behaviors that a bully can do, Dr. Heinz Naime categorized four common types of bullies. The first type is called the “Screaming Mimi”. This is the stereotypical harasser. These types of people control with intimidation and fear. They are domineering, impulsive, and emotionally unstable. This is the type of bully that will “yell, scream, and curse and bark out loud often, ‘I am your boss! Follow my commands!’” (Naime, 1998). They will also interrupt the target during meetings and discount any thoughts one has to offer (Naime, 1998).
The second type that Dr. Naime discusses is called the “Constant Critic”. This bully is extremely negative, and complains a lot. They are perfectionist that will criticize everything a person does. This is the type of bully that will “accuse target of wrongdoing and make unreasonable demands for work with impossible deadlines” (1998). They will also excessively disapprove the target’s work and will sometimes even bring the target’s personal life into matters (Naime, 1998).
The third type of bully Dr. Naime calls the “Two Headed Snake”. This is the passive-aggressive type of harasser. They will pretend to be nice to you but will secretly do things behind the target’s back. For instance, they will “discriminate against smokers by requiring they gather trash from the parking lot while taking a smoke break themselves” (Naime, 1998). This is the type of person that will have favorites as well and will treat others much nicer than their target (Naime, 1998).
The last category is called the “Gatekeeper”. This is the least apparent of all the controllers. This type is controlling and always needs to be “one-up” from the target. They will often ignore the target and perform malicious behaviors like deny certain privileges or report complaints about them for no reason. They will also deliberately make the target feel lost and left out by cutting them off of the group’s communication loop by not forwarding e-mails or giving them notices (Naime, 1998).
When focused just
in the academic workplace, a major way to bully teachers is to deny them of
their tenure. Academic tenure is granted
to certain teachers in the academic workplace and grants them with employment
security. Teachers have been unfairly denied
this privilege because of their race, sex, ethnic views, or just because they
are not liked. For example, a female
business administration professor in
Being denied tenured is a very big deal in a teacher’s career because it constantly puts them on the chopping block of their career. In the article, “Teachers Behaving Badly”, it tells two stories of two teachers who were let go because they were not tenured. A kindergarten teacher, by the name of “Diana”, was one of the three non tenured kindergarten teachers. The school had to let go one of the teachers the following year. “Everyday was like going through a battle”, Diana said. Even though there were two other teachers that were not tenured, Diana lived outside of the community and did not know members of the board like the other two teachers did. “I got the feeling I was the odd person out,” she explains. “I would walk into the lounge and the conversation would cease, or a subject at hand suddenly was changed.” Eventually, her fellow staff members singled her out and just quit talking to her. She would cry and lose sleep from the stress of this environment and losing her job. Even though Diana was a good kindergarten teacher, and always received good reviews, she was still fired. Diana’s lack of tenure eventually led her to losing a job. But that was not the only consequence. It put Diana in such a stressful working environment, that after she was let go, she could not teach at a normal level anymore and had to take time off to recover emotionally (Waggoner, 2003, p.30).
Another story involves a teacher by the name of “Jack”. At his school, a new principal was hired and asked that teachers do not wear blue jeans anymore. “I’m not tenured, so the paranoia was with me” Jack states. So to avoid any issues, he followed his boss’ request and never came to work in jeans. However, the other tenured teachers protested and said their First Amendment rights were being violated. Since Jack never came to school in blue jeans, the other teachers would constantly tease and bully him. The working environment that Jack was put in was miserable. He states that even his students found out what was going on and would make comments to him about the clothes he was wearing. All the embarrassment led Jack to quit his job. “I have never come completely out of it. You would think the other teachers my tenure position but they didn’t” (Waggoner, 2003, p. 30-31).
These effects of
these mobbing behaviors are the real issues at hand. “Mobbing is a serious risk-management issue
that can have some very serious consequences, including low morale, increased
absenteeism, decreased productivity, high faculty turnover, and open hostility”
(Halbur, 2005). A 1998 study at the
Bullying can have many effects. A lot of people will blame themselves and think that there is something truly wrong with them. These negative thoughts hurt people’s self-esteem and confidence. In short-term, mobbing can cause health effects both physiologically and psychologically. Physiologically, people get headaches, upset stomachs, nausea, rashes, and increased blood pressure. Psychologically, people can experience panic attacks, anxiety, and depression. Mobbing can also cause long-term effects. People get so affected from bullying at their workplace that it causes them to burn out and quit their jobs. They then will take time off because they fear going back to work in a teasing atmosphere. Bullying can even hurt and break up marriages and families of the target. People also suffer from long-term depression and anxiety (Peyton, 2003, p.63-64). Forty-three percent of victims who have been bullied by their boss have led reported having clinical depression (Hall, 2005). Suicide incidents, strokes, and heart attacks have even been reported (Naime, 1998).
So what can be done to stop this incivility in the academic workforce? Chuck Waggoner, author of “Teachers Behaving Badly” states that the first step is to address that mobbing is a problem in the working atmosphere and it cannot be taken lightly. “Mobbing should be understood for what it is-serious, malicious, behavior with far-reaching consequences,” he says. “It is devastating to the person who is attacked and demoralizing to the entire workforce, destroying trust, teamwork, and positive attitudes” (2003, p.31).
He then states that once mobbing has been identified in an academic organization that the next step is to take aggressive actions to prevent and cease these behaviors. He suggests six ideas to try and end academic bullying. The first thought is to address the administration and stress them to change their leadership styles. Many administrators do not know how to handle conflict and will often ignore it. They sometimes even have their own cliques and get caught up in the mobbing as well (Waggoner, 2003, p.31).
The next idea is to train current employees on how to identify mobbing. Many professional consultants can come in and teach employees about human relations and how to get along in the workplace (Waggoner, 2003, p.31).
The third suggestion is to develop a workplace civility policy. This policy will tell employers what behaviors will not be tolerated in the workplace and assign punishments if they do happen. The policy should also make it clear that employers should not fear retaliation for reporting mobbing actions. This will make sure that people will report uncivil behaviors (Waggoner, 2003, p.31).
His fourth idea would be to include mediation with an incident (Waggoner, 2003, p.31). Mediation is “the process of assisting people to find a common solution to a common problem” (Peyton, 2003, p.99). Mediation has many advantages. During mediation, all parties have equal power. They are all given an equal amount of time to speak, listen, and reflect on the views. The parties negotiate the problems and can discuss anything they have to say to each other right then and there. The process is also very simple to perform and is confidential and informal. Mediation is a future-focused procedure that can solve conflict and create a more positive working environment for everyone (Peyton, 2003, p. 99-100).
The fifth thought to help stop workplace mobbing in the academia would be to look for people with pedagogical expertise when hiring new employees. New employees who have emotional intelligence can help manage conflict in the workplace (Waggoner, 2003, p.31). .
The last suggestion is to post up posters around the organization that promote an anti-bullying atmosphere. They can show how to respect other employees and the behaviors that are highly wanted in the atmosphere. Make sure the poster clearly states that there are no exceptions to these positive behaviors (Waggoner, 2003, p.31). These six ideas can help promote positive working conditions in the academic workplace.
In the article “Bullying in the Academic Workplace”, author Kimberly Halbur, suggests another solution to prevent bullying. She proposes the idea of getting the chair of the school involved. The chair plays an important role in academics and they are paid to be a neutral mediator in conflicts. Mobbing is really strong when an organization is led with strong hierarchy. When tenured faculty is teasing the untenured faculty, it is apparent where the power lies in the institution. However, just because these faculty members have tenure, does not mean that they have a right to bully the ones that do not. Halbur then states that she thinks it is the responsibility of the chair to investigate and solve these actions when she says,
I think we’re seeing higher education that tenure is not as sacred as it once was. I’m not promoting that. I’m simply saying that we are seeing professionals’ behavior being examined even when they are tenured, and I think as an administrator of any type – chair, dean, or vice president – you have a responsibility to your institution to make sure that your environment is a safe environment in which to work, even if that means conducting an investigation as allowed by your institution (2005).
By getting the chair involved, it can help prevent faculty bullying and help encourage a more positive working atmosphere. An institution can also try and not put as much emphasis on tenure in hopes of eliminating mobbing (Halbur, 2005).
Outside of the organization as a whole, there are suggestions to help cope with the psychological and physiological effects bullying can cause someone. Author Priscilla Hall suggests ideas in her article to help targeted individuals. One idea is to get support from friends and family. Talking about problems with your close peers can take away some of the stress that comes with being harassed. Another thought is to see a therapist, especially if a person is having serious stress symptoms. She then states that the best way to try and stop a bully is to get a witness to help see the actions taken place and then, file a complaint. A witness with strengthen your testimony and help put a stop to the bully. Hopefully, in the end, the bully will be removed or cease his or her actions (Hall, 2005, p. 48).
Bullying is an unnoticed problem in today’s workforce, especially in academic institutions. What is seen on the playgrounds has been brought into professional organizations and has caused many effects on people. The rising problem of mobbing needs to be addressed and fixed in order to create a more positive working environment. The constant bullying and harassment that is happening repeatedly should not be tolerated and should be stopped. Hopefully, our society can turn the focus from themselves onto others and learn to stop these childish behaviors.
References
Haag, P. (2005, September). Is Collegiality Code for Hating Ethnic, Racial, and
Female Faculty at Tenure Time?. Education Digest, 71(1), 57-62. Retrieved
Halbur, K. (2005, November). Bullying in the Academic Workplace. Academic Leader,
21(11),
3-7. Retrieved
Hall, P. (2005). Bullying and the Teacher. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 45-49.
Retrieved February 15 from Education Research Complete database.
Leymann, H. (1996, October). The Mobbing Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 15,
2008 from http://www.leymann.se/English/frame.html.
Naime, G. (1998). Workplace
Bullying Institute. Retrieved
http://www.bullyinginstitute.org.
Peyton, P. (2003). Dignity at Work: Eliminate Bullying and
Create a Positive Working
Environment.
Waggoner, C. (2003, January 1). Teachers
Behaving Badly. American School Board
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