Productivity losses, increased absenteeism, higher staff turnover and the cost of intervention programs are just some of the impacts of managers being bullied, a new study has found.
Released on June 25, the study of 162 managers across public and private sector industries found office gossip, withholding information and intentionally missing deadlines were bullying tactics used to target one in four managers.
Other tactics were spreading rumours, skipping meetings and ignoring managers’ views and opinions.
Study author Dr Sara Branch, of Griffith University, said upwards bullying was often more subtle and less obvious to other staff.
“It can also include more aggressive behaviour, such as yelling, verbal threats, and confrontational phone conversations,” Branch said. “We found many managers felt uncomfortable about reporting the bullying for fear of not being taken seriously, or being expected to deal with the situation on their own.”
Bullying at any level
Employers needed to understand that bullying can occur at any level in an organisation.
“Although managers clearly have formal authority, they can also be victims of bullying and need just as much support as other staff,” Branch said.
Change management
One of the main triggers for upwards bullying was organisational change, the study found.
“If an employee is disgruntled by change, such as new working conditions, management, or processes, they may blame their manager and respond by bullying them,” Branch said.
She recommended workplaces adopt grievance management processes that employees can trust.
“Encourage managers to report the bullying and bring employees together to discuss the issues openly,” she said.
The study involved 162 (105 male, 57 female) participants from a range of managerial levels including senior, middle and supervisory positions.
The 25% bullying rate they reported was high compared to similar studies in Europe, which found on average that 11% of managers had experienced upwards bullying, Branch said.
