The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case Study
The aim of this article is to introduce an ethical perspective of managerial behaviours to the study of vertical workplace bullying. A framework called the <i>line of impunity</i> was chosen that describes the missuses of power by certain ranks in organizations. Previous research on bull...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/9/6/110 |
| _version_ | 1797564256805191680 |
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| author | Alicia Medina Eduardo Lopez Rolf Medina |
| author_facet | Alicia Medina Eduardo Lopez Rolf Medina |
| author_sort | Alicia Medina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The aim of this article is to introduce an ethical perspective of managerial behaviours to the study of vertical workplace bullying. A framework called the <i>line of impunity</i> was chosen that describes the missuses of power by certain ranks in organizations. Previous research on bullying addresses several perspectives such as the consequences of the bullying situation for the organization, the target and bystanders, the leadership style of the bully, the perceived structural support, and the manifestations of the abusive behaviours. However, to date, the ethical aspects have been poorly outlined. Applying the <i>line of impunity</i> brings light to several aspects of workplace bullying that are connected to an unethical use of power. This study is unusual because it is a phenomenological research based on two case studies that present the field experiences of two of the authors while working in different organizations, one in Sweden and the other in USA, during an extended period of time. The two main contributions of the study are the new concepts <i>power methods</i> and <i>reinforcin</i>g, which highlight the connection between abusive behaviour and the ethical aspects that are present in downwards vertical workplace bullying situations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:55:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eeae7b89280d4793a835a7543bfe1695 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:55:51Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-eeae7b89280d4793a835a7543bfe16952023-11-20T04:50:30ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602020-06-019611010.3390/socsci9060110The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case StudyAlicia Medina0Eduardo Lopez1Rolf Medina2Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics (USBE), 901 87 Umeå, SwedenJack C. Massey College of Business, Belmont University, Nashville, TN 37212, USAUmeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics (USBE), 901 87 Umeå, SwedenThe aim of this article is to introduce an ethical perspective of managerial behaviours to the study of vertical workplace bullying. A framework called the <i>line of impunity</i> was chosen that describes the missuses of power by certain ranks in organizations. Previous research on bullying addresses several perspectives such as the consequences of the bullying situation for the organization, the target and bystanders, the leadership style of the bully, the perceived structural support, and the manifestations of the abusive behaviours. However, to date, the ethical aspects have been poorly outlined. Applying the <i>line of impunity</i> brings light to several aspects of workplace bullying that are connected to an unethical use of power. This study is unusual because it is a phenomenological research based on two case studies that present the field experiences of two of the authors while working in different organizations, one in Sweden and the other in USA, during an extended period of time. The two main contributions of the study are the new concepts <i>power methods</i> and <i>reinforcin</i>g, which highlight the connection between abusive behaviour and the ethical aspects that are present in downwards vertical workplace bullying situations.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/9/6/110workplace bullyingabusive supervisionunethical management |
| spellingShingle | Alicia Medina Eduardo Lopez Rolf Medina The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case Study Social Sciences workplace bullying abusive supervision unethical management |
| title | The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case Study |
| title_full | The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case Study |
| title_fullStr | The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case Study |
| title_short | The Unethical Managerial Behaviours and Abusive Use of Power in Downwards Vertical Workplace Bullying: A Phenomenological Case Study |
| title_sort | unethical managerial behaviours and abusive use of power in downwards vertical workplace bullying a phenomenological case study |
| topic | workplace bullying abusive supervision unethical management |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/9/6/110 |
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