The Perceived Effects of Organizational Culture on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education
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St. John Fisher College Fisher Digital Publications Education Doctoral Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education 8-2018 The Perceived Effects of Organizational Culture on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education Laura Persky St. John Fisher College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd Part of the Education Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Recommended Citation Persky, Laura, "The Perceived Effects of Organizational Culture on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education" (2018). Education Doctoral. Paper 357. Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations. This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/357 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Perceived Effects of Organizational Culture on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education Abstract Current research indicates that workplace bullying exists among a variety of industries in the United States. Further, the reported frequency of workplace bullying appears to be above average in some industries including higher education. Workplace bullying can cause long term harmful effects for the bullied target. Additionally, workplace bullying can create a negative work environment leading to decreased productivity and employee turnover. The purpose of this study was to learn from higher education faculty, administrators, and human resource personnel about their experiences with workplace bullying. This study examined the problem of workplace bullying through different roles and perspectives to better understand how and why it occurs. This study used organizational culture theory as a guide to investigate the role of the institutional processes in interpersonal behavior. This study employed qualitative phenomenological methodology using interviews to gather data. It found that workplace bullying was experienced as both verbal and emotional abuse. The bullying behavior was often conducted by a superior or someone who held power over the target. Due to the power imbalance, most bullied targets felt there was little recourse to combat the behavior. All participants suggested that training on workplace bullying behavior, creating policy with consequences and ultimately legislation against the behavior would help mitigate the problem. Document Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor Janice Girardi Second Supervisor Jennifer Schulman Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/357 The Perceived Effects of Organizational Culture on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education By Laura Persky Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Ed.D. in Executive Leadership Supervised by Dr. Janice Girardi Committee Member Dr. Jennifer Schulman Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education St. John Fisher College August 2018 Copyright by Laura Persky 2018 Dedication This journey would not have been possible without the love and support of my family. Thank you to my parents for making education a priority and providing the opportunities to pursue my dreams. Thank you to my children Emily and Jason who set the bar high and inspire me to be a better, stronger person, and to always do the right thing. To Rich, my husband and chief editor, thanks for always cheering me on. To Dr. Montanaro, thank you for the support and your research and writing guidance. Thank you to my dissertation committee, Dr. Girardi and Dr. Schulman, for all the support and direction. iii Biographical Sketch Laura Persky is currently a Graduate Program Director at the Manhattanville College School of Business. Ms. Persky attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business in 1985. She attended New York University’s Stern School of Business and earned a Master of Business Administration in 1990. She began doctoral studies in the St. John Fisher College Executive Leadership program in the spring of 2016. Ms. Persky conducted her research on the effects of organizational culture on workplace bullying in higher education under the direction of Dr. Janice Girardi and Dr. Jennifer Schulman and earned her degree in 2018. iv Abstract Current research indicates that workplace bullying exists among a variety of industries in the United States. Further, the reported frequency of workplace bullying appears to be above average in some industries including higher education. Workplace bullying can cause long term harmful effects for the bullied target. Additionally, workplace bullying can create a negative work environment leading to decreased productivity and employee turnover. The purpose of this study was to learn from higher education faculty, administrators, and human resource personnel about their experiences with workplace bullying. This study examined the problem of workplace bullying through different roles and perspectives to better understand how and why it occurs. This study used organizational culture theory as a guide to investigate the role of the institutional processes in interpersonal behavior. This study employed qualitative phenomenological methodology using interviews to gather data. It found that workplace bullying was experienced as both verbal and emotional abuse. The bullying behavior was often conducted by a superior or someone who held power over the target. Due to the power imbalance, most bullied targets felt there was little recourse to combat the behavior. All participants suggested that training on workplace bullying behavior, creating policy with consequences and ultimately legislation against the behavior would help mitigate the problem. v Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Biographical Sketch ........................................................................................................... iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Background ..................................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 3 Theoretical Rationale ...................................................................................................... 5 Statement of Purpose ...................................................................................................... 7 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 9 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 10 Definitions of Terms ..................................................................................................... 10 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature .................................................................................. 13 Introduction and Purpose .............................................................................................. 13 Review of the Literature ............................................................................................... 13 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 3: Research Design Methodology ....................................................................... 43 General Perspective ...................................................................................................... 43 vi Research Context .......................................................................................................... 46 Research Participants .................................................................................................... 47 Instruments Used in Data Collection ............................................................................ 49 Procedures for Data Analysis........................................................................................ 51 Summary of Methodology ............................................................................................ 52 Chapter 4: Results ............................................................................................................. 54 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 55 Data Analysis and Findings .........................................................................................