Workplace Bullying in Adulthood and in the Workplace

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Comparison Matrix Paper

Introduction

Today’s economy is changing, not only in this country, but around the world as well. People today are struggling to find steady employment, maintaining their employment and still having a difficult time to make ends-meet. Looking for a job, especially while unemployed and running low on money, has to be one of the most stressful times of a person’s life. However, there is another issue in regarding to today’s workforce. We can assume that most of us have experienced some type of bullying while in our younger years. Unfortunately, bullying exists in one’s adulthood as well, especially within the work environment. Additionally, workplace bullying is one of the biggest complaints from both employers and employees today.

The phenomenon of workplace bullying refers to a gradually evolving process, whereby an individual ends up in an inferior position and becomes the target of systematic negative social acts by one or more perpetrators (Brodsky, 1976). Workplace bullying consists of repeated and prolonged exposure to predominantly psychological mistreatment, directed at a target who is typically teased, badgered and insulted, and who perceives himself or herself as not having the opportunity to retaliate in kind (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Copper 2003). After investigating three research studies related to workplace bullying, it is quite evident that bullying can have serious consequences on employees; therefore, it is important for employees and employers to know how to recognize it within their working environment. According to the Australian Council of Trade Unions (2013), “bullying presents a threat to the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of a worker and is dealt with under t...

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