Leadership, working environment and workplace bullying

Abstract

A postal National Survey of the workforce in Ireland (N = 1057) found that six per cent of respondents claimed to have been bullied frequently, with a further 17 per cent bullied occasionally, over the previous 12 months. Of those who had been bullied, 67 per cent described the style of leadership in their organizations as autocratic, 15 per cent as laissez-faire, and 18 per cent as democratic. Whilst 72 per cent of non-bullied respondents reported that their working environment was friendly, only 47 per cent of bullied respondents reported that their working environment was friendly. Furthermore, 39 per cent of bullied respondents claimed to work in a hostile environment. There were significant differences between bullied and non-bullied respondents with regard to working conditions, with the exception of the level of challenge, and significant differences in all aspects of the perceived working climate, with the exception of a variable atmosphere.