Is there a blast radius of workplace bullying? Ripple effects on witnesses and non-witnesses
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21620676 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Rosander (0000-0002-0202-4650, Linköping University, corresponding author), Morten Birkeland Nielsen (0000-0001-7858-8623, National Institute of Occupational Health) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 14 |
| Pages | 12365-12379 |
| Publication date | 2024-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1046-1310 • E-ISSN: 1936-4733 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12144-023-05340-3 |
| OpenAlex | W4388044836 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 56 |
Substantial evidence points to detrimental effects of workplace bullying on the health, well-being and job attitudes among those exposed. What is less known is how bullying affects their non-exposed colleagues. In this study, we introduce the concept “blast radius of bullying” and use social information processing theory to investigate how bullying impacts targets, witnesses, and non-witnesses. We suggest three mechanisms to understand the impact bullying may have on non-targets: the working environment mechanism, secondary victimization, and emotional contagion. We hypothesized that non-exposed colleagues in groups where bullying exists would feel some impact of bullying, but that it would be smaller for those further away from the point of impact. We also investigated the association between the severity of mistreatment and outcomes for the above-mentioned categories. We used data (n = 2215) from 195 work groups. The results provided evidence for a blast radius of bullying, however, not as far-reaching as hypothesized as only direct observation of mistreatment was associated with negative outcomes. The severity of mistreatment was not associated with the outcomes, whereas the frequency of observation had some impact for witnesses. The study showed that also witnesses may be regarded as “co-victims”
Developmental psychology · Workplace bullying · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Clinical Psychology · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Psychology · Social Psychology · Workplace Violence and Bullying
Outcomes of exposure to workplace bullying
Going to work ill
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans
It doesn’t stop Here
Exposure to negative acts at work and self-labelling as a victim of workplace bullying
When and Why Do Good People Not Do Good Deeds? Third-Party Observers’ Unfavorable Reactions to Negative Workplace Gossip
Trouble at Work
Harassment in the Workplace and the Victimization of Men
Measuring exposure to bullying and harassment at work
The nature and causes of bullying at work
Relationships between stressful work environments and bullying
How Toxic Workplace Environment Effects the Employee Engagement
The ‘Black Sheep Effect’
Communication and empathy as precursors to burnout among human service workers
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |