ERIC Number: EJ1431927
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jul
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0951-5224
EISSN: EISSN-1468-2273
Witnessing Bullying at Work: Employee Silence in Higher Education Institutions
Higher Education Quarterly, v78 n3 p640-655 2024
Workplace bullying is a widespread phenomenon within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Employee tendency to remain silent is one of the most common reactions to workplace bullying. Yet, employee silence in the context of workplace bullying is poorly studied. Building on the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR) and the Learned Helplessness Theory (LHT), this study investigated employee reluctance to take action when witnessing workplace bullying (employee silence). The sample comprised 560 employees working in 20 HEIs in Ireland. Respondents filled out a survey measuring employee silence, victimisation, and team psychological safety. Results showed a negative association between team psychological safety and employee silence, indicating a reluctance to report bullying among respondents with low levels of team psychological safety. In line with the COR and the LHT, a positive association was found between victimisation and employee silence. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible actions for bullying prevention in HEIs.
Descriptors: Bullying, Work Environment, Higher Education, Prevention, Correlation, Victims, Helplessness, Employee Attitudes, Safety, Psychological Patterns, Self Disclosure (Individuals), Intervention, Foreign Countries
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ireland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A