Bar-David Consulting

(published in Canadian HR Reporter Magazine, Aug 13, 2012)

Almost thirty years since Scandinavian researchers began studying the phenomenon of psychological abuse in the workplace, the field is in flux. As I return from The 8th International Conference on Workplace Bullying in Copenhagen, Denmark, it appears that the research community across the globe is struggling with very fundamental questions. Here are some of the struggles you may want to know about:

1. What is bullying, anyway? Currently, there’s no consensus regarding the exact meaning of this term. All experts agree that bullying is characterized by a repeated pattern of behavior that undermines a person’s credibility, social standing or work performance. However, beyond that, definitions and measuring methods vary greatly.
2. Does bullying have to be intentional? Contrary to widespread misconception, most experts agree that bullying does not require proof of intention by the perpetrator. In reality, bullying has to be intentional only if the jurisdiction in which your business operates defines it as such.
3. Researchers’ definitions of bullying differ from what HR professionals perceive it to be. What you see working in the trenches is not what you see working in the research lab. One of the most encouraging developments is an effort currently under way, led by Prof. Suzy Fox of the Institute of Human Resources and Employment Relations at Loyola University in Chicago, which will synthesize the research perspective with the real-life perceptions of HR professionals to craft a new method for measuring bullying.
4. What is the true prevalence of workplace bullying? Well, the answer depends on the type of questions you pose. Studies that employ a strict definition of bullying point to prevalence as low as 3%, whereas studies that use broader definitions demonstrate a prevalence as high as 69% (yes, you read correctly!).
5. Bullying has many manifestations. For many years, bullying was perceived to comprise of a person or a group targeting another person. However now, with more information coming in from practitioners who are working with real people solving real problems, it’s becoming clearer that often what is referred to as bullying is really an escalated conflict between two people, with one person gaining the strategic advantage of being recognized as ‘the target’ by filing a bullying complaint.
6. Bullying is more geo-centric than previously considered. Behaviors that might be considered threatening or exclusionary in one country, might be perfectly legitimate in another. Therefore, research finding from one country are only partially applicable to other countries.
7. We lack quality data about the bully. Our current understanding of workplace bullying is based almost exclusively on the experiences of targets. Researchers have not studied the inner world of perpetrators, who are often perceived as evil predators. And yet, as someone specializing in coaching abrasive leaders, I know that once you engage with these so-called bullies, it becomes clear that they do not consciously set out to harm others, nor are they aware of the impact of their behavior. Once they become aware of the negative impact of their conduct and obtain new skills, they tend to make significant changes.
8. Determining who the real bully is can be tricky. Once a person steps forth with a bullying complaint, organizational systems tend to automatically label that person as the target-victim and the person against who the complaint was made is labeled the perpetrator- bully. However, a number of mediation and investigation experts relayed that in 20 to 30 per cent of cases, the complainant is just as much of a bully as the alleged perpetrator, or worse.
9. In some cases, mediation can be a viable option. Many in the expert community used to maintain that mediation is counter-indicated due to the inherent power imbalance between perpetrator and target. However, new mediation methods informed by justice theories are reported to be highly effective, especially when the bullying proves to be a case of escalated conflict.
10. HR is perceived to be part of the problem. Many of the presentations in this and previous conferences demonstrate that in far too many situations, HR is ineffective in dealing with bullying issues. Even worse, HR is at times perceived to be colluding with the bully.