Gender, conflict, and workplace bullying: is civility policy the silver bullet?

This research examined whether a culture of civility affected how* employees were viewed within workplace conflict scenarios. The purpose was to investigate perceptions of female and male targets that defended themselves when verbally attacked, and whether the existence of an anti-bullying or 'civility' policy made a positive difference. In a laboratory experiment exploring the impact of policy on work-related variables, 238 undergraduate business students answered questions after viewing a candidate vita and employment performance profile. In a departure from previous studies, the results implied that analyses conducted with paper and pencil surveys may not be as appropriate for a generation that responds to a visual style of learning (MacQuarrie, 2011). In a follow-up qualitative analysis conducted via mail, participants completed a survey to examine perceptions of workplace bullying from a more in-depth perspective. The preliminary results indicated that office incivility is considered a serious problem, and should be studied in a manner that is best able to capture its potential impact. The study concluded that psychological work abuse is indeed a complex phenomenon that can impact a variety of organizational stakeholders
The experience of office bullying appears to be commonplace, with approximately thirty-five percent of the workforce reporting psychological and/or physical abuse (Workplace Bullying Institute [WBI], 2011). Websites, public forums, and [...]