WORKPLACE BULLYING AMONG PROFESSIONALS: PREVALENCE, ORGANISATIONAL ANTECEDENTS, AND GENDER DIFFERENCES

Workplace bullying, or 'mobbing', can be defined as persistent and repeated negative acts directed towards one or several individuals, which involve a victim-perpetrator dimension and create a hostile work environment. Previous research has shown that workplace bullying can have severe negative consequences both for the individuals and organizations concerned. Therefore it is important to increase our understanding of bullying and the mechanisms behind it. This study had three aims. First of all, I wanted to study the prevalence and forms of bullying among professionals. Secondly, I wanted to study how the work environment, in particular work overload and organizational politics, can contribute to bullying. Finally, I wanted to explore gender aspects of bullying. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey study and data were collected in cooperation with SEFE, a professional organization for business school graduates. 1000 questionnaires were sent to randomly drawn memebers and 377 usable questionnaires were returned.