By Frank T. Scruggs The Afro International
Suzy Fox and Lamont E. Stallworth in their 2005 research study addressed the issue of bullying in the workplace, specifically as experienced by ethnic and racial minorities. Their research paid attention to expressions of bullying whether or not the bullying behavior was overt or subtle; when directed at ethnic and racial minorities they termed this type of bullying as racial/ethnic bullying. These researchers applied the term racial/ethnic bullying to distinguish this type of bullying from other types that occur in the workplace. The researchers offer the explained that bullying, the umbrella concept for the for these various conceptualizations of ill-treatment and hostile behavior towards people ranges from most subtle, even unconscious incivilities to the most blatant, intentional emotional abuse.
Fox and Stallworth found that racial/ethnic bullying had been experienced by 97% of the 262 participants they surveyed. In their survey, participants reported that they were actually bullied by supervisors more than co-workers. The researchers also found that when bullies were supervisors, there were associated increases in negative emotional and attitudinal responses of victims and decreased trust in the ability of the organization to deal effectively with bullying were substantial. According to the researchers overall, the effects of workplace bullying can be quite disempowering and may result in loss of dignity and self-esteem. Finding solace from such behavior may prove to be difficult for anyone bullied and as one participant and the study added,” if you work or a racist and his boss is a racist, you are doomed.”
Bullying has become a topic for business and social science researchers and while bullying while not necessarily limited to blacks and other minorities has importance found in , since this type of behavior like micro-insults and micro-aggressions is prevalent in the workplaces of many multinational corporations. In his study on workplace bullying, Harvey Hornstein, a professor of social-organizational psychology at Columbia University in New York interviewed thousands of workers to understand the corporate community. The result was narratives of thousands of corporate citizens whom experienced verbal, demeaning treatment and bullying behavior directed at them. Workers discussed with the researcher how people in charge perpetrate brutality, hidden violence, disrespect and stress on workers through their abusive and destructive behavior. Hornstein also lists the eight deadly sins of being a boss in the workplace, which include: 1) deceit, 2) constraint, 3) coercion,
4) Selfishness, 5) inequity, 6) cruelty, 7) disregard and 8) deification.
Bullying has in many cases proven to be abusive in the sense that it instills fear and intimidation. There is a loss of dignity and has been shown in many cases to be a rather misguided attempt to motivate workers. Leslie Wright and Marti Smye who discussed the problem of workplace bullying said that “Many people who hire bullies find their behavior acceptable and even seek them out to whip their companies into shape. Furthermore, when companies hire bullies they have only found quick fixes that serve as a short-term solution but in the long-term workplace bullies cause more harm to the overall organization than benefit”. Bullying has been described as childish and immature and often creates havoc in the workplace. Wright and Smye provide ten ways to recognize a bully in the workplace.
Ten Ways to Recognize a Bully
1. Displays uncontrollable anger, often shouting and using vulgar language.
2. Humiliates others in front of colleagues or in private.
3. Persistently criticizes and uses sarcasm/
4. Deliberately ignores or isolates people and excludes them from taking an active part in discussions.
5. Set impossible deadlines and changes instructions without consultation, for no apparent reason than to make life difficult and failure inevitable.
6. Has difficulty delegating because of a belief that no one else can do the job to the required standard.
7. Takes credit for other people’s ideas and success but never shoulders the blame when things go wrong.
8. Repeatedly refuses reasonable requests; cancels holiday leave at short notice,
9. Continually undermines others’ authority
10. Blocks promotion
Wright and Smye (1996:51)
The issue of bullying is an issue of vital concern as workplaces become more diverse and people weather the storms of economic upheaval. Let’s keep the conversation going. I’m at fscruggs@yahoo.com
