Bullying in the Workplace - Assignment Example

Section/# Bullying in the Workplace The following discussion will be concentric upon the issues that are associated with bullying in the workplace. Although this may not seem as a drastically important issue to the average stakeholder, the loss in efficiency and the potential for stakeholders to come to understand that it is tacitly allowed and supported by the management creates a very real and measurable danger for businesses; so much so that the issue demands being further addressed; in much the same way that sexual harassment demanded further attention in decades past. For years, bullying was disregarded as having little to no impact with regards the overall emotional health or development of the individual who suffered from it. However, recent scholarship and an increased focus upon bullying by media has increased the overall level of focus that this particular issue has received. Beyond merely impacting upon the way in which an individual experiences life at the moment in which they are bullied, researches indicated that bullying contributes to a range of negative social issues, family issues, and has the effect of creating a low level of self-confidence, encouraging nervous habits, or even contributing to depression. As a function of understanding all of these determinants, the following analysis will engage in something of a cause and effect analysis of bullying. It is hope of this author that through such analysis the reader can gain a more informed and rational understanding of how bullying impacts upon the development and prospects of the individual who suffers from it. For a firm or organization that seeks to maximize profits and encourage synergy, bullying at the workplace is an especially negative reality that can easily decrease the effectiveness that such a firm or organization might otherwise seek to inspire (Sidle, 2010). Further, as a direct result of bullying in the workplace, the organizational strength is decreased and the morale of the entity necessarily suffers as well. As a means of understanding each of the nuances that employee bullying can have on the organizational integrity and strength of a firm or business entity, the following analysis will delve more deeply into the psychological ramifications and realities that workplace bullying portends. Firstly, the causes of bullying are various. Much of the existing scholarship points to the fact that existing social issues, dynamics, and the willingness to have a level of power over another individual oftentimes prompts a would be fully to engage in the process from the very beginning (Greenwald, 2014). However, it is also understood that unhealthy family relationships or issues that are unaddressed/traumatic oftentimes contribute to encouraging bullying behavior as a means of passing the pain and hardship on to another individual (Cooper-Thomas et al., 2013). Within such an understanding, the reader can accurately denote the fact that workplace bullying is most likely to be exhibited within a power dynamic; i.e. one that might be defined by a subordinate and superior interaction. Although this is not always the case, the broad majority of workplace bullying falls within this definition. Moreover, beyond merely organizational effectiveness and utility, ancillary issues pertaining to potential sexual harassment, ageism, or racism may also be evidenced in such situations of employee bullying (Devonish, 2014). For this very reason, it is necessary for the organization to realize that workplace bullying is not confined to a specific problem; rather it is oftentimes indicative of many ethical or moral situations that must force the firm/organization to take action (Vickers, 2014). Sadly, as a result of this flawed and inappropriate view of the world, bullies have a lasting impact with respect to the way in which individuals live their lives. For instance, pervasive bullying has been effectively linked to low levels of self-esteem or self-confidence. Sadly, this is something of a slippery slope due to the fact that individuals experience a particularly low level of self-confidence are oftentimes picked on even more and bullied by other individuals; due to their nonconformity (Carden & Boyd, 2013). Additionally, pervasive levels of bullying have also contributed to the existence of nervous habits, kicks, or the development of varying personality disorders. As these are exhibited through stronger and stronger degree, specifically within adolescents, bullies oftentimes see these manifestations as something of an unspoken invitation for further bullying to take place. Worst of all, severe forms of chronic depression can be created as the result of prolonged or especially severe instances of bullying. Firstly, it must be understood that workplace bullying is not something that is restricted to the individual or the individuals that experience it. Instead, it has unwanted spillover effects that should even further encourage the employer to seek to immediately address the potential or reality of workplace bullying. As a result of the fact that workplace bullying creates a hostile work environment for the individual(s) suffering from it, the ancillary impact that is experienced is one in which work efficiency is decreased and a desire to benefit the firm or organization is decreased alongside this. With the employee(s) finding themselves(s) in a situation that is defined by day to day survival, the outward looking plan for how to benefit the firm or organization is usually all but nonexistent (Zing, 2014). Moreover, the organizational impacts of workplace bullying oftentimes include the creation of a very negative or passive level of employee engagement. For instance, the individual that suffers from workplace bullying is likely to develop an attitude of indifference to whether or not the needs or goals of the organization are in fact met. As this viewpoint develops, the likelihood that the individual/individuals that have experienced workplace bullying will continue to positively contribute to the work process is drastically reduced (Chipps et al., 2013). Yet, it should not be understood that the issue of addressing workplace bullying is solely contingent on increasing productivity and/or maximizing profits. The employer should be concerned with the issue of workplace bullying for no other reason than it is a moral and ethical responsibility of the employer to ensure the quality of the workplace environment and promote the development of all of their stakeholders (Galanaki & Papalexandris, 2013). A tertiary issue that is oftentimes exhibited within a situation in which workplace bullying is ignored or tacitly approved of that other ethical and moral standards for the code of conduct are soon broken or ignored as well. Scholarship on workplace bullying indicates that those workplaces where bullying is allowed or tacitly approved of by leadership exhibit an extraordinarily high level of other ethical or moral issues (Hall & Lewis, 2014). Although it might not be honest to say that workplace bullying allows for the door to be opened to other issues of dishonesty or unethical behavior in the workplace, it is safe to assume that if an employer allows for such behavior to take place and does little to stop it – not only will morale be negatively impacted, and not only will efficiency drop, the likelihood of other employees seeing this lack of concern by management as open license to bend or break other moral barriers is drastically increased. In the event that workplace bullying is not dealt with in an appropriate manner, it can ultimately lead to unhappy, distrustful, and unproductive employees. Moreover, in keeping with the discussion that has thus far been presented, the employee who feels that the firm takes little to no interest in their afflictions can quickly turn hostile and actively sabotage the workflow as a means of achieving a degree of retribution against the employer or seeking to balance the environment. From the information that has thus far been provided, it is clear and apparent that bullying has extraordinarily negative impact upon the lives of those that are bullied. However, rather than merely looking at ending bullying by strengthening existing organizations and institutions to protect the at risk members within the community, a far more actionable and effective approach would be to require individuals in positions of leadership or those who have others reporting to them to take mandatory classes with respect to bullying and the fact that a zero tolerance policy towards it is supported by the organization or firm in question. In much the same way that sexual harassment has a zero tolerance policy within many workplaces, bullying can easily be added to this; thereby encouraging individuals to understand that such activities have no place within the professional environment. By seeking out those individuals that are at risk for becoming bullies themselves and providing adequate nurturing and training so that they will have an outlet to vent their frustration and release the negative emotions and feelings inside them prior to taking these out on an innocent victim, the work process can be improved and the organization can be strengthened. Moreover, as can adequately be noted, the situation that has been represented threatens to reduce the overall capacity for innovation and/or efficiency that might exist in any particular workplace. For this very reason ,it is incumbent upon the employer to address these issues and seek to ameliorate them prior to any negative effect being exhibited on either the individual employee or the form/organization as a whole. 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