by Drew Mitchell

Created on: July 27, 2009   Last Updated: November 12, 2009

Identifying Toxic Work Cultures: Recognizing & Controlling Workplace Bullying

When one hears the word "bully," people think of the prototypical roughneck at school that shoves the little kids into lockers. Or maybe it's the hooligan that takes someone's lunch money as a fee for letting them live another day. But people tend to forget or ignore that bullying does not necessarily end on the playground or the gym locker room.

Many people fail to recognize that there is such a thing as the workplace bully. This personality type is becoming more well known thanks to many people that have brought the topic to light in recent years, but it's still a relatively new field of study in the psycho-social aspect as well as in business.

I have researched the various forms of bullying and how employers can create a bully-free environment in their workplace. But as with any problem, there first has to be recognition. I want to give the reader an indication of the "signs and symptoms" of bullying so that the reader will be better able to identify what is making their workplace "sick."

As you read this, you may wonder what you would look for in a workplace bully? Mean girls and tough boys were your typical bullies in school, but what about at work? The following paragraphs will help paint a picture of typical bullies. As you read this article, look at the person sitting next to you. Now look across the room. See those people sitting there? As you read this, you may start to understand that even those seemingly innocent looking people may be bullies. Chances are they're not. But bullies in the workplace can be very hard to identify. One reason is most people like to believe that people are, in essence, good. But bullies are not good people. They are evil. Maybe that sounds melodramatic, but the concept of the workplace bully cannot be taken lightly. Bullies are bad people, and people must keep in mind that they look like you or me. They look like your neighbor, or your sister or your cousin.

Workplace bullying is defined as repeated and enduring aggressive behaviors (most frequently verbal and non-physical). It is intended to be hostile and/or perceived as hostile by the recipient and is usually unpredictable, irrational, and unfair. Workplace bullying differs from harassment in that conduct is always intentional and includes more than just enumerated grounds. Intent of bullying is usually to make the target feel that their contributions to the workplace are not needed or are

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>