November 02, 2007

Lack of management skills main reason for workplace bullying

New research released by the Ban Bullying At Work campaign reveals that two thirds of managers believe that lack of management skills is the major factor contributing to bullying. Unrealistic targets (27%), authoritarian management styles (56%), personality (57%) and failure to address incidents (37%) are also cited as contributory factors.

Lyn Witheridge, CEO of the Ban Bullying At Work campaign, said: “It is clear that managers now acknowledge that bullying behaviour in the workplace takes many forms and creates deep repercussions.

“In fact bullying costs UK businesses £18 billion per year and one in four people has experienced bullying in the workplace. We are challenging businesses to speak out against bullying to create workplaces where employees can see clearly that bullying behaviours will not be tolerated. We want to inspire managers to speak out and instill a culture where business is not frightened to stand-up to the bullies.”

National Ban Bullying At Work Day takes place on 7th November, and more information is available at www.banbullyingatwork.com
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How do we achieve inspired academic managers standing-up against workplace bullying, when the offenders are usually among their ranks?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just sometimes at 2.00am in the morning - when you can bear the pain no longer you get out of bed and take a bottle of pills from the cupboard and tip them out into your hand - imagining the release from the pain....

But then you put them back into the bottle and go and make some tea with tears streaming down your face.

Say no to bullying.

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

It is fantastic to know that there are people working on behalf of those of us who are being bullied.

Research like this will continue to chip away at the issue of workplace bullying.

Who will you be talking to about bullying on Nov 7th?

Bullying can kill.

The reserves of psychological strength that are needed to cope with repeated attacks of bullying are enormous.

If the bullying was physical I would now be a mass of pulp and blood on the floor.

Because the bullying is psychological the scars are not quite so visible.

But the damage is being done over and over and over again while colleagues watch in silence.

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

It goes round and round in my head.....

I believe that in my university those who bully are those in management positions.

If I were to take my case to court I would have to resign from the university where I work while the bullies would remain.

It would potentially cost me thousands of pounds because UCU do not appear to effectively support cases of workplace bullying.

In my university those who are in management positions who don't bully claim that it is very difficult to do anything about the bullying.

If I were to take my case to court I would have to resign from the university where I work while the bullies would remain.

I believe that in my university those who bully are those in management positions.

If I were to take my case to court I would have to resign from the university where I work while the bullies would remain.

I believe that in my university those who bully are those in management positions.

In my university those who are in management positions who don't bully claim that it is very difficult to do anything about the bullying.

If I were to take my case to court I would have to resign from the university where I work while the bullies would remain.

It would potentially cost me thousands of pounds because UCU do not appear to effectively support cases of workplace bullying.

If I were to take my case to court I would have to resign from the university where I work while the bullies would remain.

In my university those who are in management positions who don't bully claim that it is very difficult to do anything about the bullying.


If I were to take my case to court I would have to resign from the university where I work while the bullies would remain.

It would potentially cost me thousands of pounds because UCU do not appear to effectively support cases of workplace bullying.

Those of us who believe that we are being bullied are very grateful to those of you who work on our behalf to expose workplace bullying for what it is.

In our darkest moments we say to ourselves... I am not alone... there are good people out there who are trying to offer support.

It's just that sometimes the nights can seem very long as the images of bullying whirl round and round in our heads and the bottle of tablets can seem very tempting....

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

From the point of view of an individual being bullied, the alternatives don't look good. If you put up with the abuse, it will probably continue. If you resist, it may get worse. Many advisers say the best option is to leave.

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

The reason why the IOE do not follow their procedures because the bullies are their friends and most of the staff are dispensible.

Taken from a message posted annonymously on this blog..

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

The internal grievance procedures are a joke, the stress that staff are put through when they make a complaint is unbearable.

Taken from a message posted annonymously on this blog in relation to the Institute of Education.

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

University of Arts, London:
36 Employment Tribunal cases launched against the university since August 2001.
including 16 for unfair dismissal
4 on sex discrimination
4 on race discrimination
3 on unspecified discrimination
4 for unlawful deduction of wages
13 cases settled out of court (with appropriate confidentiality clauses)
1 case upheld at the tribunal stage for unlawful deduction.

Taken from a message posted annonymously on this blog

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

'The only way that bullying would stop in that organisation is if somebody comits suicide', says 28 year old Chloe reflecting on her experience of witnessingin the HR department of a financial services firm in the City of London in 2005.

Guardian 3/11/07

Aphra Behn

Anonymous said...

Sometimes at 2:00 a.m. in the morning I write to this blog, but I would never think about suicide because these creatures (the bullies) will never control my existence.

Anonymous said...

Lack of ethics is main reason for bullying.