Workplace bullying at a higher education institution in South Africa

Abstract

Workplace bullying is an increasing phenomenon and occurs across organisations and occupations in the world of work, on a global scale. Bullying in the workplace is not just limited to corporate entities, it is also evident in higher education institutions where academic and support staff is also susceptible to workplace bullying. Workplace bullying negatively influences employees and may result in serious physical and psychological health problems. Workplace bullying also affects the organisation and influences productivity, work performance, employee engagement, employee loyalty and commitment, staff turnover and workplace culture, among other things. This study aimed at investigating the perceptions of workplace bullying among academic and support staff in a higher education institution in South Africa. In order to achieve this objective successfully, the researcher conducted a literature review as well as an empirical study. A literature review was conducted first to gain a conceptual and theoretical understanding of workplace bullying, as well as the factors that influence the phenomenon. The literature review also provided insight into legislative response and intervention measures that can be used in order to combat workplace bullying effectively and successfully. For the empirical study, a pragmatic worldview was adopted. A mixed method research design was employed using quantitative and qualitative research approaches, methods and techniques. The research setting was limited to one higher education institution; a case study was conducted. For the quantitative phase of the study, the target population comprised all academic and support staff of the higher education institution under investigation. Convenience sampling was used to select the respondents. Data were collected using a web-based survey. Confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank-order correlations, independent sample t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to analyse the data. For the qualitative phase of the study, the target population included the deans and deputy deans of faculties, school directors, People and Culture representatives, and campus health and wellness representatives. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews; an interview schedule was used. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. From the quantitative results it became evident that, in the higher education institution under investigation, workplace bullying was experienced to a certain extent (between “never”, “now and then” and “monthly”). The respondents were the most subjected to exclusion, followed by

managerial misconduct, humiliation and belittlement, and hostility (the least). The results also revealed that there is ample room for improvement in terms of the institution’s policies and practices aimed at combatting and counteracting workplace bullying at the institution. The qualitative findings revealed nine main themes: experiences of bullying behaviour, reporting of bullying behaviour, action taken against bullying incidents, seriousness of bullying incidents, anti-bullying policy, employee awareness of advisory facilities, managing workplace bullying, prevention measures for workplace bullying and intervention measures for workplace bullying. The empirical results and findings of this study were to a great extent supported by the findings of the literature review. From the quantitative results and qualitative findings, it is evident that workplace bullying is present, and has been experienced, at the institution under investigation. Although policies and practices on this matter are in place at the institution to a certain extent, much more can be done to implement them effectively and to create awareness of workplace bullying, the procedures to follow to report bullying incidents and supporting practices available to support the victims. Furthermore, there is a need for primary, secondary and tertiary intervention measures to counter workplace bullying effectively and timely.