Exploring Workplace Bullying Through a Social Work Ethics-Informed Lens Karla B. Horton, Ph.D. Southern Illinois University [email protected] Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, Volume 13, Number 1 (2016) Copyright 2016, ASWB This text may be freely shared among individuals, but it may not be republished in any medium without express written consent from the authors and advance notification ofASWB Abstract for student training and professional socialization Workplace bullying is a well-researched topic (Zapt, Einarsen, Hoel, & Vartia, 2003 as cited in and a rising phenomenon in academia. When Ferris & Kline, 2009). What distinguishes social this phenomenon occurs within the social work work from other helping professions is a long- academy, it can be detrimental to teaching and standing allegiance to a value-based mission and a learning, social work practice, and tenure-track distinct ethical framework (Reamer, 1993, p.39). faculty’s research productivity. This paper will Schools of social work are teaching and examine and define workplace bullying, as well learning environments for social work principles as explore the implications it has on social work such as theory, evidence-based practice, policy, ethics and academia. Recommendations for and research. Students, faculty, and internship practice, research, and policy are addressed. supervisors are all active participants within the social work academy, and they are all responsible Keywords: workplace bullying; tenure-track for upholding the National Association of So- faculty; social work students; social work cial Workers-Code of Ethics (NASW-COE). The academia; social work values/ethics NASW-COE specifies our responsibilities to our students, clients, colleagues, and practice settings. Introduction Its values include service, social justice, dignity Workplace bullying is a phenomenon and worth of the person, importance of human re- that has been well researched, and findings in- lationships, integrity, and competence. The code of dicate that it is detrimental to both workers and ethics values are as follows (NASW Code Ethics, the workplace. Hallberg and Strandmark (2006) 2008): found that workplace bullying is associated with • Service: to assist those in need and physical and psychosomatic symptoms, as well address social problems. as counterproductive behaviors in the workplace, • Social justice: pursue social change, such as purposely wasting company materials and especially with the vulnerable and supplies, purposely completing one’s work incor- oppressed. rectly, and purposely damaging valuable company • Dignity and worth of the person: treat property (Ayoko, Callon, Hartel, 2003). The each person in a caring a respectful effects of workplace bullying are unique to each manner, mindful of individual work setting, especially in academia. Most of the differences and cultural and ethnic literature has focused on the helping professions— diversity. especially medicine, nursing, education, and social • Importance of human relationships: work—because they rely heavily on the workplace relationships between and among Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, Spring 2016, Vol. 13, No. 1 - page 25 Exploring Workplace Bullying Through a Social Work Ethics-Informed Lens people are an important vehicle for 5. humor-oriented bullying (ridiculing, change. teasing, or interpersonal humor that is • Integrity: behaving in a trustworthy asymmetrical; person- oriented humor manner. directed towards someone in an out- • Competence: aspire to contribute to the group position); knowledge base of the profession. 6. work-related stalking (can be defined Purpose as a course of conduct in which In the social work academy, the six one individual inflicts upon another NASW-COE values are important to teaching, repeated unwanted intrusions and learning, and practice. This paper will explore the communications, to such an extent that connections between workplace bullying in the so- the victim fears for their safety); cial work academy and the inherent contradictions that it poses to the NASW-COE. This discussion 7. bullying of workplace newcomers (a is guided by three assumptions from the scholarly rite of passage in which newcomers literature on workplace bullying: first, workplace in the workplace are met with bullying affects organizational culture and climate; intimidating behavior as a kind of secondly, in the social work academy, social work hazing); students are trained using the NASW-COE; and 8. judicial derelicts (may take place when lastly, workplace bullying amongst students, from an individual perceives their self to be faculty to students, and amongst faculty can nega- bullied by a system, be it bureaucrats tively influence teaching, learning, and client care. and their decisions or the legal system itself); and Workplace Bullying Defined Matthiesen and Einarsen (2010) attempted 9. retaliatory acts after whistleblowing to develop a nomenclature by defining nine differ- (sometimes whistleblowing leads to ent types of workplace bullying: a victimization process where the 1. dispute-related bullying (developed organization or its members “shoot the from an interpersonal conflict, often messenger,” that is retaliate against the involving social control reactions to person that exposed the wrongdoing) the perceived wrongdoing); (p.213-216). There are essentially aspects that work- 2. predatory bullying (the target has place bullying shares with general bullying, such personally done nothing provocative as power, aggression, and repeated acts. Power that may reasonably justify the addresses hierarchy positions in the work setting behavior of the bully); such as tenured professor/tenure-track professor 3. scapegoating (frustration is displaced relationships and social work intern/client relation- on an available target which is seen to ships. Aggression refers to displays of relational, “deserve” it); verbal, and/or physical behaviors against a target (and then these acts are repeated). A person’s 4. sexual harassment (a target is exposed position in the workplace can dictate the type of to repeated and unwanted sexual bullying he or she may experience. There can be attention by a more powerful and often upward, horizontal, and downward bullying in the older coworker or superior); workplace; upward bullying is a subordinate bul- lying a person in a managerial position, horizontal Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, Spring 2016, Vol. 13, No. 1 - page 26 Exploring Workplace Bullying Through a Social Work Ethics-Informed Lens bullying is worker bullying their co-worker, and Cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) emphasizes downward bullying is perpetrated by managers that a person’s thinking is the primary determinant against subordinates (Branch, Ramsay, & Barker, of both emotional and behavioral actions and reac- 2012; Getz, 2013). Downward bullying may tions to life events (Gonzalez-Prendes & Brise- be found in social work academia, for although bois, 2012). According to CBT, an individual who tenure-track faculty and tenured faculty are col- displays workplace bullying behaviors has created leagues, the relationship is inherently hierarchical a way of thinking that influences his or her own because the senior faculty member votes on the emotions and behaviors, more specifically bullying tenure-track faculty’s tenure. behaviors. Perpetrators of workplace bullying may Another term associated with workplace have cognitive distortions or errors in thinking that bullying is mobbing, which refers to to the non- allow them to believe that their bullying behaviors sexual harassment of a coworker by a group of are self-preserving and beneficial. other members of the organization for the purpose of removing the targeted individual(s) from the At-Risk Status department or organization (Sperry, 2009). Mob- Exposure to bullying at work may result in bing, like workplace bullying, is carried out by increased negative views of self, others, and the several employees. Relational aggression, a bul- world (Mikkelsen & Einarsen, 2002). Research has lying subtype in which harm is caused through found that those most likely to be bullied in uni- damage, or threat of damage, to an individual’s versity settings are new hires and untenured work- relationships or reputation, can also be added to ers (McKay, Huberman-Arnold, Fratzl, & Thomas, workplace bullying nomenclature. Relationally ag- 2008). Individuals with poor social competencies gressive behaviors entail spreading rumors, nega- or problematic profiles (i.e. neurotic, introvert, tive comments shared with others when the victim oversensitive, and suspicious) and depression with is not present, sarcasm, and public embarrassment a tendency to convert psychological distress into (Horton, 2014). Fogg (2008) found that these very psychosomatic symptoms are at higher risk of behaviors also define academic bullies. The major workplace bullying (Girardi, Monaco, Prestigia- difference between relational aggression and work- como, Talamo, Ruberto, & Tatarelli, 2007). Ad- place bullying is the setting; relational aggression ditional risk factors for workplace bullying include is prominent in children and adolescents in school leadership practices and power hierarchies, role settings, whereas workplace bullying is prominent conflicts, organizational cultures and climates, and in adults within the workplace. working conditions (Einarsen, Aasland, & Skogs- Bullying behaviors in academia are effec- tad, 2007; Hague, Einarsen, Knardahl, Notealaers, tive, albeit