The Problem of Workplace Bullying

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(gentle music) What is workplace bullying, and how and where does it happen? And what should you do if it happens to you or to someone else? In these lessons, we'll look at the dynamics behind workplace bullying, why it happens, and how bullying is different from harassment. You'll also discover what counts as bullying behavior and what to do if the bully is a coworker or someone in a position of authority over you. Every workplace has its own unique environment that affects how and when bullying occurs. Here's how to assess workplace environments, to understand dynamics, culture, and power structures. Workplace dynamics refers to how the people in an office interact with each other. This could be any of the relationships between individuals at a company, including interns, employees, supervisors, managers, and bosses. These dynamics can minimize or maximize the potential for tension and bullying behavior. To better understand the dynamics at your workplace, ask yourself these questions. Is your supervisor involved with the everyday tasks of their employees? Do you work closely with your peers? Or do you mostly work alone? And how much do you know about your coworkers' lives outside of work? Workplace culture describes how people function within a work environment. These are the unspoken beliefs and behaviors that established employees expect from new hires. An employee's ability to adjust to their workplace culture can affect whether they are respected by their peers, superiors or subordinates. To assess the culture at your workplace, consider these questions. Do employees have a competitive spirit, or are they more collaborative? What's the general attitude toward the work you perform? Are you and your peers invested in the company mission? And does your office encourage social interactions, like birthday celebrations and happy hours? Workplace power structures refer to how power is distributed throughout a company. Power structures are a key element in workplace bullying, because they can affect how bullies behave. For example, a supervisor may take advantage of the power they hold over an employee, or encourage coworkers to compete against each other. To identify power structures at your workplace, explore these questions. Do you work with people who have the same authority as you? Or do you have coworkers with different levels of office authority? What kind of power can you hold over others, and what kind of power do others hold over you? And does anyone control how your performance is perceived at work, or have an influence on your general wellbeing? It's important to understand how dynamics, culture, and power structures interact with each other to create a positive or negative work environment. All three of these elements can determine how and why bullying may occur in the workplace. For example, some individuals may bully their peers in an overly competitive work environment. In other cases, a supervisor may bully subordinates into taking on more work. Understanding your environment and how people function within it is the key to identifying the risks for negative work situations.