My final research project will explore the topic of anti-bullying, and specifically will explore the issue of bullying the workplace. This topic is particularly relevant to the study of behavioural sciences, as it explores one of the key factors influencing the way in which organizations can apply the theory of behavioural sciences to practical application and solutions in the real world. The practical application of behavioural science to business solutions is a direction I wish to explore more fully as I develop my academic and professional career; I therefore selected this topic because it addresses an issue that is current and problematic for businesses in the modern world.
As I researched this topic, I was surprised to discover that much of the research concerning anti-bullying focuses not on the workplace, but on schools. It was difficult to find articles specifically relating to anti-bullying in the workplace, suggesting that although workplace bullying is a serious and well-documented problem, behavioural scientists have devoted less attention to investigating the causes of workplace bullying and seeking solutions, than they have been for tackling bullying in schools. I was nevertheless able to find research supporting my initial hypothesis that workplace bullying is an issue that requires practical business solutions.
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"Writing Process".
After researching a number of sources exploring the issue from the perspective of both behaviour science theory and business and leadership theory, I have narrowed the focus of my topic to the ways in which leadership solutions can help to tackle the issue of anti-bullying. The thesis of my paper will therefore be as follows: in the global business environment, workplace bullying is a direct result of cultural and social tensions within group and team situations; for this reason leadership strategies which focus on resolving these tensions through education and communication can help alleviate the problem.
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- Davis, G. F. (2014). Editorial essay: Why do we still have journals? Administrative Science Quarterly, 59(2), 193-201. doi:10.1177/0001839214534186
- Harvey, M., Treadway, D., Heames, J., & Duke, A. (2009). Bullying in the 21st century global organization: An ethical perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(1), 27-40.
- Hauge, L., Skogstad, A., & Einarsen, S. (2009). Individual and situational predictors of workplace bullying: why do perpetrators engage in the bullying of others? Work & Stress, 23(4), 349-358.
- Hoel, H., Glasø, L., Hetland, J., Cooper, C. L., & Einarsen, S. (2010). Leadership styles as predictors of self-reported and observed workplace bullying. British Journal of Management, 21(2), 453-468.
- Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2015). Workplace bullying: A tale of adverse consequences. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, 12(1/2), 32-37. CINAHL Plus with Full Text, EBSCOhost database.
