Set the tone! From bullying and harassment to good workplace relationships

Project title

Set the tone! From bullying and harassment to good workplace relationships

Project manager

Eva Gemzøe Mikkelsen

Project description

The objectives of the research project are:

1. To establish further scientific knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the development of bullying and harassment at work, and
2. To develop, implement and evaluate interventions which companies may use to prevent and manage bullying and harassment at work.

Specific research questions are:

• Which factors and mechanisms are involved in the development and maintenance of bullying and harassment at work?
• Which interventions may contribute to changing a negative workplace culture characterized by negative acts, bullying and harassment into a culture characterized by positive workplace relationships?

Background:
Many employees are subjected to various forms of negative acts at their workplace, such as for example incivility, bullying or harassment at work. Research also shows that workplace bullying is a predictor for mental and physical health problems such as for example depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes 2. With respect to organizational effects, bullying and harassment may lead to for example increased sickness absence, high turn-over and decreased productivity.

Methods:
Part 1 of the research project: Multiple-case study.
Employing a mixed-methods approach, baseline and follow-up qualitative and quantitative data exploring mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of bullying and harassment are collected in several departments within two companies.

Group and individual interviews with managers, employees and employee representatives are used to explore perceived causes and dynamics in the development of negative acts, bullying and harassment and possible failures to effectively putting an end to such problems.

Quantitative data on the prevalence of negative acts, bullying, sexual harassment, work environment factors, workplace culture and mental health are also collected.

Part 2 of the research project: The intervention study.
Employing a responsive approach, research and best practice based interventions suitable for each company are implemented in targeted departments with the purpose of reducing negative acts and creating a healthy workplace culture characterized by positive workplace relationships.

Quantitative as well as qualitative data at follow-up are expected to show a decrease in perceived negative acts, positive changes in aspects of the workplace culture as well as reduced mental health problem.

Process evaluation:
Group interviews as well as observations are employed to study how the interventions are implemented with an eye for possible stimulating and obstructive factors.

Perspectives:
Bullying and harassment at work negatively affect the mental well-being of both targets and bystanders and may also have serious organizational consequences. At the present time, there is a need for more qualitative studies exploring the factors and mechanisms involved in the development of these problems. Moreover, there is a need for methodologically sound studies exploring how companies may change a negative culture into a culture characterized by mutual respect, high psychological safety, and a low prevalence of negative acts.

With the purpose of disseminating knowledge from the project, the involved researchers will develop a manual, which may be of use to workplaces that wishes to address negative acts, bullying or sexual harassment at work.

Start date and expected end date

01.01.2021 - 31.12.2022

The project is carried out under

ThRIVE Research Group

Collaborators

Jesper Kristiansen (Project Manager, NFA) and Anette Meng (Postdoc, Research Assistant, NFA)

Funding

Velliv Foreningen

Keywords

Workplace bullying, sexual harassment, conflicts, bystanders, mental health, intervention, prevention, intervention research, process evaluation, qualitative research, work environment, organizations