Mobbing - what is it? The essence of psychological terror, methods of confrontation.
"HR Officer. Personnel Management (Personnel Management)", 2012, N 7
MOBBING IN AN ORGANIZATION, ITS TYPES AND REASONS OF OCCUPATION
The article provides a classification of the types, causes and consequences of mobbing.
Dictionary of personnel management. Mobbing (English mobbing, from English mob - large group people, crowd) - rude address to someone, attack. As a verb, the term has the following meanings: to noisily attack someone, to treat someone roughly, to molest, to attack.
Any enterprise has its own type and rules of conduct, both formal and informal, “non-statutory”. One of the manifestations of hazing behavior is mobbing - a phenomenon that is gaining importance for employees and employers today. Timely identification, prevention or prevention of mobbing conflict is the key efficient work both individual employees and the organization as a whole.
Mobbing is an interdisciplinary phenomenon. It is studied by sociology, psychology, conflictology, and jurisprudence. Research on mobbing as a type of hazing in the science of personnel management became widespread in the 1980s. However, the definition of mobbing in industrial (social-labor) relations was given only in the second half of the 1990s. H. Leiman, who defined mobbing as negative communicative actions directed against one or more people, occurring very often and for a long time and having distinctive features relationship between victim and offender. IN modern meaning Mobbing is understood as the deliberate behavior of one or more people, directed at one person or group of people, repeated for six months or more, including mainly the intentions of the mobber to harm the authority and position in society of a particular person or several people, driving him/them out of their positions/ their positions.
Where does mobbing occur?
We can distinguish three areas of professional life that are subject to mobbing manipulations (Fig. 1):
1. Communication between people: limiting communication with a person (ignoring each other, raising your voice, unfair criticism of work or personal life, verbal or written insults).
3. Manipulation with production tasks occurs mainly when dividing dangerous or not particularly attractive work, during work that is not related to job responsibilities, when performing tasks that make a person feel insulted or humiliated. This area also includes intrigue, deception, deceit, corruption, and disappointment. All of these actions are designed to unfairly gain one's own benefit at the expense of one or more people.
Areas of professional life,
subject to mobbing manipulations
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│Common between people ┌───────┼─────────────────────────┐
│ │ │ Position in society │
│ ┌──────────────┼───────┼────────┐ │
│ │ │Mobbing│ │ │
└──────┼──────────────┼───────┘ │ │
│ Manipulations └────────────────┼────────────────┘
│ with production tasks │
└───────────────────────────────┘
Types and signs of mobbing
Mobbing is a little-studied phenomenon both in terms of types and forms of its manifestation. Existing points Views on the classification of types of mobbing are unsystematic and come down mainly to horizontal (bullying) and vertical (bossing and staffing) mobbing. Horizontal mobbing is most often used by “older” employees in relation to newcomers to the organization. Vertical - in the event that it is necessary to make room for the promotion of someone or the manager wants to get rid of an employee. There is also a third, intermediate type - inter-level mobbing. It is aimed, as a rule, at middle managers.
In addition, there are other classification features:
1. According to the degree of awareness of his goals by a mobber - conscious (intentional, aimed at achieving selfish goals) and unconscious (spontaneous).
2. According to the form of manifestation - latent (in the case when the target of the attack is trying to hold back the onslaught of mobbers) and open.
3. By the number of participants - individual or group.
4. According to the nature of the course - chronic or self-regenerating (in the case when, having survived one colleague, the team is accepted as a new victim).
5. If possible, controlled (implementation of moral persecution with the aim of fulfilling the secret instructions of management (administration) by a group of attackers or persecution carried out directly officials, representing the interests of the employer (employer), and unmanaged.
In addition, mobbing actions are divided by gender, since the tactics used by male “mobbers” and female “mobbers” are radically different (for example, men use administrative resources, and women use social connections as a mobbing tool).
About 45 actions have been identified, forming five groups, which can be characterized as manifestations of mobbing if one or more of them last more than 1/2 year and occur at least once a week:
1) encroachment on the possibility of self-expression;
2) restrictions on social contacts;
3) influence on social status;
4) nitpicking about the quality of work;
5) causing harm to health.
However, it is necessary in each specific case to check what is the reason and what are the goals of a particular action, so that you can say exactly when and in what situations such actions can be considered mobbing, or as:
Only necessary and permissible organizational actions of the enterprise;
Rather, as acceptable if changes regarding work that are not agreed with the person are considered;
Actions misunderstood by an overly sensitive person;
Unintentional awkward work action;
An event that gives the impression of mobbing and is seen as unfair, although there is no deliberate plan behind it.
Reasons for mobbing
The reasons for the occurrence of mobbing in the work collective: unhealthy atmosphere in the team, imperfect personnel policy, envy (of a younger or more successful colleague), fear (for example, of a new successful employee), impetuous career growth one of the employees in the team, idleness, boredom, etc.
As a complex process that is influenced by work conditions, the specific organization, participants and character social interaction, mobbing is also determined by the prevailing atmosphere at the enterprise, the personal qualities of the target of mobbing and the participants in the bullying (Fig. 2).
The influence of the environment on the mobber and the object of mobbing
Economic situation
┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ organizational │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Fears │ │
│ │ Goals │ │
│ │ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │ │
Social norms ───>│ │ │ │<─── Социальные нормы
│ Object │<───────>│ Mobber │
Legal system ───>│ │ │ │<─── Правовая система
│ │ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │ │
│ │ Signs of a victim │ │
│ │ Stigmatization │ │
│ └───────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ conditions │
└───────────────────────────────────────┘
Economic situation
In the event that an unhealthy, neurotic environment has developed in an organization, a minor change is enough to cause mobbing activity in the team.
The reasons for mobbing can be divided into:
Structural (or organizational), which, in turn, are divided into external to the enterprise (economic situation, the influence of legal and social norms) and internal (for example, ineffective organization of labor and production, ineffective personnel policy, deep organizational changes;
Social (goals or fears of employees regarding each other, the desire to find a “whipping boy”, victimized behavior of one or more employees or their stigmatization (the presence of specific signs);
Personal (most often, these are new employees, people of pre-retirement age, employees hired under a fixed-term contract; as a rule, potential victims of mobbing are characterized by self-doubt and try to avoid conflicts at all costs) (Fig. 3).
Reasons for mobbing
Organizational
(structural) reasons:
External to the organization: │
economic; │Social reasons:
legal;<───>│- goals of the participants │
social; │mobbing;<───>│Personal reasons:
Intracorporate: │- fears of participants │- indecision/
features of production;│mobbing; │fearfulness;
management features; │- “signs of a victim” │- overestimated
features of the labor market and the target of mobbing; │self-esteem;
production │- specific features│- position in
│mobbing objects │organizations and reactions
│ │the team on him
<──────────────────────────────────────────────────>
────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────────
─────── \ / ───────
─── ──
Consequences of mobbing
The consequences of mobbing in modern research are considered as the totality of the results of the persecution of a victim by a mobber, affecting not only the direct participants in the process, but also their numerous surroundings (colleagues, relatives) and environment (enterprise). There are four main types of consequences of mobbing: physical, mental, social, economic. The consequences are also divided into personal and organizational.
Since these consequences are experienced to one degree or another by all participants in bullying (both direct and indirect), it is advisable to classify the consequences of mobbing according to its participants. Based on this principle, three types of consequences can be distinguished:
Consequences for the victim;
Consequences for the mobber;
Consequences for the enterprise.
As a rule, the consequences of mobbing for the victim, depending on the intensity and duration of mobbing actions, can affect three areas of life: health, career and personal life.
The activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems of the body caused by stress has a significant impact on human health (Table 1).
Table 1
The impact of stress caused by mobbing on human health
|
The most common ailments among victims of mobbing |
|
|
Physical ailments |
Mental illnesses |
|
Headaches, migraines |
Concentration problems |
|
Stomach pain |
Memory disorders |
|
Nausea, vomiting |
Self-doubt |
|
Loss of appetite |
Depression, lack of initiative |
|
Sleep problems |
Feelings of despair, thoughts of |
|
Change in blood pressure |
Paranoid state (illusion |
|
Increased irritability, frequent |
|
|
Dizziness |
|
|
Skin diseases (eczema) |
General exhaustion |
According to some researchers, victims most often report such negative consequences of mobbing as decreased motivation, strong distrust of others, nervousness, social disintegration, feelings of powerlessness, decreased efficiency and deterioration of thinking, doubt in their abilities, fear and withdrawal.
Mobbing also has a profound impact on the personal and family lives of victims. The most common consequences of this type include instability, social isolation, quarrels with family members, general psychological stress, financial problems, indifference, aggressiveness, lack of attention to personal life and depression.
As for the consequences for professional activity, mobbing can lead to leaving work, transfer to another place, or even loss of ability to work. In most cases, attacks on an employee are aimed at forcing him to leave the organization. In addition, being under constant stress can lead to loss of motivation, lack of success at work, decreased productivity, errors in completing work tasks, inability to concentrate on work, loss of concentration, all of which can lead to dismissal. The influence of mobbing also affects the employee’s perception of himself as a successful employee and individual, distorting his understanding of his own results and achievements at work and in his personal life. The consequences of mobbing include a reduction in wages.
The consequences of mobbing for an enterprise are characterized by the fact that they are quite difficult to determine and calculate in advance. However, a decrease in efficiency, an unhealthy climate in the team, personnel rotation, and a high probability of incorrect decisions are negatively affecting the results of the enterprise.
The main consequences of mobbing for an enterprise are:
Deterioration of the working atmosphere;
Decrease in productivity and quality of labor, expressed in a decrease in profits for the enterprise;
Loss of motivation to work by employees not directly involved in the conflict;
Absence of employees from work due to illness and, as a result, additional workload for their colleagues, the need to do “not their” work, an increase in time to complete work and possible dissatisfaction with clients;
Rotation of personnel (in particular, due to inconsistency of goals and actions of management and subordinates). For this reason, during personnel rotation, problems may arise with the selection of personnel for certain positions (for example, to replace a mobbing victim who has just quit, or to a managerial position). In addition, the enterprise will inevitably incur costs associated with searching for candidates, interviewing them, mastering a specialty by a new employee (training), etc.
The consequences of mobbing for aggressors (mobbers) can be grouped according to the same principle as the consequences for the victim, since the mobber is in a similar state of stress. Although in the case of a victim, mobbing against him provokes stress and further consequences for health, career and personal/social life, in the case of a mobber, prolonged stress or dissonance between expectations and reality leads a person to begin to project his condition onto others.
The most common consequences of mobbing for aggressors are:
Psychosomatic illnesses that partially replicate the symptoms of the victim;
Negative reaction of the team to mobbing actions against their colleague/colleagues;
Decrease in labor productivity;
Dismissal/promotion/salary reduction and other sanctions.
The consequences of mobbing for aggressors are most difficult to analyze. They are the least pronounced. Only a small number of mobbers stop harassing workers under the influence of any sanctions and punishments, or are subject to internal transfers or dismissal. Often, former victims of mobbing who were unable to cope with stress become aggressors.
Bibliography
1. Leymann H. Mobbing. Psychoterror am Arbeitsplatz und Wie mann sich dagegen wehren kann // Reinbeck (Rowohlt), 1993. S. 21.
2. Korableva N.V. Manifestations of mobbing and bullying at an enterprise as a socio-psychological problem. Materials of the XXXIX scientific and technical conference on the results of the work of the teaching staff of North Caucasian State Technical University for 2009. Volume three. Social science. Stavropol: SevKavSTU, 2010. 131 p.
3. Leymann H. (1993). Etymologie und Heaufigeit von Mobbing am Arbeitsplatz - eine Uebersicht ueber die bicherige Forschung. Z.f. Personalforschung. S. 22.
4. Soloviev A.V. Does current legislation protect workers from moral persecution in the workplace? // Citizen and law. 2007. N 12. P. 74 - 81.
5. Vartia-Vaananen2003">Maarit Vartia-Vaananen: Workplace bullying - A study on the work environment, well-being and health [Bullying in the workplace - Study of working conditions, well-being and health] Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. Helsinki, 2003 (People and Work Research Reports 56).
6. Konovalova V. G. Mobbing as mobbing: sources and consequences of psychological terror // Personnel officer. Personnel management. 2011. N 3. P. 105 - 113.
7. Meschkutat, Stackelbeck & Langenhoff (2002). S. 77.
8. Langenscheidt 1986: Langenscheidts Handwoerterbuch Englisch. Berlin, Muenchen, Wien, Zuerich (Langenscheidt).
E. Korystina
Specialist
on financial statements
Siemens IT Solutions and Services LLC
adminMobbing at work is something that is carried out by colleagues, subordinates or superiors. People around spread non-existent rumors, humiliate, ignore the victim, and intimidate. Thus, the physical and mental condition of a person worsens. Are there methods to combat such terror at work?
Reasons for mobbing – who is chosen as a victim?
Not everyone can become a victim of mobbing; there are a number of reasons for this, certain character traits that make this person stand out from the crowd.
The concept of mobbing is new. However, the history of the appearance, the essence of this word has been familiar for many hundreds of years. Mobbing occurs more often in places where the bulk of people have taken up arms against one person. The reasons for this are not compelling; bullying usually begins when the victim is different from others in some way. But let’s look at the common reasons why one person becomes “not nice” to others.
White Crow.
Imagine an established team where everyone has known each other for many years. It has established certain communication, its own habits, customs and foundations. Suddenly a new person comes - a “black sheep”, not like everyone else, he is different from everyone else. A different appearance, an unattractive voice, dissimilar behavior, or anything else can alienate a close-knit team. He is often perceived as an exiled Cossack. That’s why they want to quickly get rid of the newcomer and force him out of the team.
- “Why do we need an extra opponent?”
Such situations where the team starts from scratch together are practically excluded.
Negative atmosphere.
The work atmosphere can be not only businesslike, but also negative. This happens in the case of improper organization of the work process, a boss-dictator who does not allow his subordinates to live and develop in peace. Some people like to have get-togethers instead of lunch, etc. Such an unhealthy atmosphere in a team easily encourages aggression. The outburst of emotions happens out of nowhere and can affect one person who is currently caught in the hot hand.
With nothing to do.
There are teams where workers stupidly kill time, but do not complete the tasks assigned to them by their superiors. And the first person to fall under the “distribution” of a negative attitude towards himself will be a workaholic. He takes his responsibilities responsibly, but his idleness will cause his colleagues to suspect him of currying favor with his boss. Often this is not the case, a person really works, but he can no longer escape the blows of his colleagues.
Dislike to the boss.
There are also situations when management does not like a subordinate. Terror begins “from above.” However, others also tune in to a negative wave towards the unloved employee, supporting the bosses.
Envious people.
In large teams. Family well-being, financial well-being, rapid climb up the career ladder, good relationships with management - all this provokes others to envy. And this is a bad feeling that destroys a person and the team as a whole from the inside, like rot. To avoid causing it to your employees once again, do not brag about your finances, expensive purchases, or the joys of family life. Share this with your loved ones and friends, who will truly appreciate, understand and rejoice with you.
Psychological self-affirmation.
This happens even in kindergartens and schools, when an older (in this case, psychologically strong) friend asserts himself at the expense of a weaker character. He humiliates him, mocks him, mocks him in every possible way and provokes negative emotions.
Low self-esteem.
This reason is the least common. A person who is a victim does not know how to defend his own rights and opinions; he will fall under attack from anyone, even the most peaceful group. With his victim complex, he personally provokes his colleagues into mobbing, showing cowardice, helplessness, and weakness.
Prestigious position.
People who occupy the most lucrative positions in the team are also subject to attacks. The main reasons for this are: high wages, a loyal attitude from the boss, a separate workplace with its own secretary and amenities, useful connections, etc. Terror occurs with the goal of eliminating this person from the desired position that someone from the team would like to get. However, this does not mean that if the victim leaves the post, the new entrant will not be subject to the same pressure.
New boss.
Imagine the situation: a position has become vacant in a leadership position. Each member of the team dreams of getting it. But a new, unknown person comes and disrupts all their plans. At the same time, he begins to change the existing foundations, shuffle responsibilities between employees, introduce new regulations and establish a different operating regime. A militia is organized against him. The solution for such a manager is to fire his subordinates. However, he will not be able to eliminate everyone, and working under the yoke of his colleagues is not an easy task.
Types of mobbing
There are several types of mobbing, here are the most common ones found in work groups:
Horizontal and vertical. Horizontal is directed by a group of people at their colleague. Vertical - against the leader (or vice versa - leader against subordinate).
Latent (hidden) mobbing. In this case, there is no open expression of negative emotions and aggression. Colleagues provoke the victim by ignoring them, hinting, or certain situations that themselves force the person to leave the team.
Here are 2 situations that vividly describe latent mobbing against a colleague. The manager instructed the employee to print out important documentation for an urgent meeting. Employees are aware of this and deliberately do not release the printer. They continue to print and copy more and more papers, not responding to the employee’s pitiful requests to release the equipment for a couple of minutes. As a result, they do this just before the meeting itself.
And the second situation: the manager announced through one of his subordinates that there would be an urgent meeting. And of course, the victim of mobbing was not informed about this. He finds out about this after the meeting is over.
The victim of latent mobbing begins to experience a communication deficit. He is deliberately avoided in conversations and is not invited to general tea parties and conversations. The team is forced to contact the victim only on work issues.
Mobbing is aimed at forcing the victim to leave the team. After all, an unhealthy atmosphere, a lack of full-fledged communication, obstacles in the wheels - all this is exhausting, the work seems difficult, and in the morning there is no desire to go to it. And in the evening I felt as if I had been unloading wagons all day long.
The one who was the leader, the provocateur and initiator of the pressure gets great pleasure when he achieves his goal - the departure of the victim of mobbing.
Vertical latent mobbing. Here the initiator is the boss, who does not like one of his subordinates. There is no open confrontation, there is only hidden psychological pressure: it ignores the employee’s labor achievements, provides complex, routine work that no one really needs (monkey work), does not invite people to meetings, does not inform about events, meetings, conferences. Thus, the boss shows that he does not want to see his subordinate there. The employee's initiative is completely ignored. The possibility of climbing the career ladder for such an employee is zero. The manager does his best to prevent this.
Open mobbing is the most common type. Everything happens openly here: ridicule, threats, material damage. This is done intentionally by the initiator of the pressure.
Sandwich mobbing. With this type of pressure comes from different sides: both from colleagues and from the boss.
Consequences of mobbing at work
Mobbing worsens the psychological and physical condition of the victim.
With just emerging pressure, the employee tries in every possible way to prove that he is worthy of the respect and favor of the team. He takes initiative, tries to be useful and helpful, and often does “dirty” and tedious work. But that doesn't help. When mobbing moves to a new level, all the ardor of the victim fades away. They stop greeting him, ignore him when meeting him, don’t invite him to holidays and work events, give him a wide berth, and show him off in front of his superiors not looking at his best. The person becomes an outcast.
How does the victim feel?
He showed so much diligence and followed the instructions of his boss. However, all his manipulations led to nothing. What does it mean?
- “I don’t have enough qualifications, I’m not an interesting conversationalist.” This is exactly the opinion that an employee who is a victim of mobbing develops. . The collection of complexes is replenished. A state of helplessness, vulnerability and depression. Physical condition also worsens: colds. The chronic course of these diseases leads to time off from work and frequent sick leave. The bosses don’t like this, which further provokes victimization.
Constant pressure affects performance. Attention fades, memory deteriorates, and some work issues are resolved with great difficulty. It often happens that mobbing leads to a heart attack or stroke due to psychological stress. In this case, a letter of resignation is the only way out of the situation.
After dismissal, the consequences of mobbing haunt the victim for a long time. This is post-traumatic stress.
It seems that psychological violence is not such a serious “hobby.” However, experts in the field of criminal law put murder, violence and mobbing at work on the same level. It leads to such psychological trauma that it can even induce suicide. Often, victims of mobbing have to turn to psychoanalysts for help.
When a team takes up arms against one employee just for the sake of entertainment, a distraction from routine matters, he does not think about the consequences. But they are serious. And not only for the victim herself, but also for her family and friends. And working in such an unhealthy team is not going well. After all, the main factor for the successful completion of tasks is the atmosphere in the workplace.
The priority in the work team is to increase sales volume, attract clients, and quickly complete work tasks. But during the passion for mobbing, all the energy is directed in the wrong direction - towards the victim. This affects the activities of the entire enterprise.
It is known that mobbing brings huge losses to a company. Therefore, the task of managers is to improve the atmosphere in the work team, to prevent such situations and not to become the initiators of provocative actions.
How to avoid becoming a victim of mobbing
- this is hell. You won't last long like this. If you once became a victim of mobbing, then you will probably suffer the same fate at your next job. In order to avoid becoming a target again, you will have to learn to behave differently in a team, to position yourself correctly.
The manager must maintain a normal working atmosphere in the team. Where friendly relations reign and work is smooth. Everyone fulfills their own responsibilities and does not interfere in other people's lives.
The purpose of management is to lead and establish a climate, communication strategy, and behavioral points that the team strictly follows. For example, the atmosphere in the team will be spoiled by family or intimate relationships between colleagues. This causes envy. A competent leader will stop and prevent such situations in the workplace.
If you are already a victim of mobbing, remain calm and do not show fear or panic. The initiator of the pressure will immediately sense your condition and understand that he has grabbed a weak spot. He will continue to terrorize you with renewed vigor.
How to deal with mobbers
Is your enemy your immediate supervisor? Yes, the task is not easy, but it is doable! You will have to work hard to prove that you are worth something. Moreover, you will have to prove it to both your colleagues and your superiors. If you can't get through to your boss, go higher. After all, there is probably a higher management who will hear, appreciate and understand!
Are you occupying a sweet spot that another employee from your team is also vying for? Prove to management every day that you deserve this place. Make your suggestions to improve the work process, show professional skills, work hard.
Have a hidden camera and a voice recorder in your arsenal so that you can prove that you are right to your superiors and demonstrate evidence of mobbing against you. Be on the lookout—mobbers are not asleep. Every minute they look for an opportune moment to mock you.
Analyze the current situation, think about your own health. Is it worth continuing to endure attacks from enemies when the critical point is already close? Maybe it’s easier to quit and find a new job? This way you will save your nerves and health and stop pleasing your opponents with your sour appearance.
January 17, 2014In any team there is a person who is not accepted by everyone for a number of reasons. However, such rejection can be “peaceful” when the person is treated calmly and even hardly noticed. The situation is much worse for those who are openly bullied and not allowed to work or study normally. This phenomenon is called mobbing, which implies the “survival” of a person from the team. What is mobbing and how to deal with it - we will learn from our article.
Description of the concept of “mobbing”
As we wrote above, mobbing is a confrontation between a group and one person. In other words, they find an outcast in the team and begin to persecute him in every possible way. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is spreading very quickly and occurs most often in work communities. Not uncommon in children's rooms either.
What does it look like? For example, you found a new job that you really like. For several days everything went well - your colleagues were nice and friendly and it seemed that you were accepted into the team. However, after some time, you began to notice that they forgot to remind you about the meeting, or important information disappeared from your computer, and the like. Or your child has moved to a new school, where he often begins to conflict with his classmates, although you had not previously noticed this in him. All these cases are examples of psychological mobbing.
Other examples of mobbing at work include the following:
- Hostility towards you from colleagues;
- Colleagues do not greet you or discuss work issues in front of you;
- Rumors are being spread about you that have no basis;
- Your superiors underestimate you and question your professionalism;
- A pregnant woman is being bullied at work;
- In your presence, colleagues allow themselves to make unkind jokes about you.
Surely you have encountered similar phenomena at least once. Mobbing employees occurs with the goal of humiliating you or, worse, ultimately getting you fired. Few people are willing to tolerate such an attitude towards themselves, so in the end, a person has to look for a new place of work.
Types of mobbing
The most common types of mobbing at work are as follows:
- Horizontal mobbing - the entire team chooses a “victim” and begins to put pressure on her;
- Vertical mobbing - mobbing of personnel by management;
- Latent mobbing is a type of hidden pressure on a colleague when they try to isolate him from the team with psychological tricks (they don’t communicate, don’t greet each other, don’t invite them to joint events);
- Mobbing is an open type - a person is bullied in front of everyone, openly, mocked and humiliated, they allow themselves to use unpleasant expressions addressed to him;
- Vertical latent mobbing - a subordinate does not receive the attention of his manager, he ignores his wishes, overwhelms him with difficult work, and does not allow him to rest and grow in his career.
There is also such a term in psychology as bullying. How is mobbing different from bullying?
Mobbing: harsh confrontation between the work collective and one outcast personBullying and mobbing: differences between concepts
There are similarities between these two concepts: both bullying and mobbing imply bullying in a team, psychological violence against a person. However, there is a significant difference. If during mobbing one person is confronted by a whole group of people, then during bullying it is only one person.
Understanding the reason for such behavior on the part of your colleague is not easy. Perhaps you took his position, for which he applied before you. Or the reason lies elsewhere - in personal hostility. And it can also happen when the boss becomes a subordinate. In any case, you should be attentive to such situations, since even one person can ruin your reputation at work.
In general, the psychological climate in a team is very important. Even material values recede into the background if you are very friendly with your colleagues. Therefore, bullying and mobbing can significantly complicate your professional activities.
The psychology of mobbing has not been fully studied. It is still unclear why people choose victims of emotional abuse at work. Below we will try to figure out what may be a prerequisite for such behavior among colleagues.
Stages of mobbing development
Mobbing in the workplace has certain phases of development. If you are new to the team, then our information may be useful to you. So, the phases of development of mobbing in the workforce:
The emergence of prerequisites for mobbing
The cause of bullying may be a previously unresolved conflict with colleagues, which entails a deterioration in the psychological climate in the team. The conflict may be based on labor activity, and because of personal hostility. Mobbing a newbie, according to statistics, is the most common phenomenon.
Search for "victim"
This is one of the very first stages. They find the culprit of the situation and begin to show aggression towards him. Of course, under such conditions a person may experience an emotional breakdown, which plays into the hands of his colleagues. As a result, the situation is getting worse.
Active stage
More and more often, the “victim of mobbing” becomes the center of ridicule and cruel jokes, they are becoming more and more regular. No matter what situation a person finds himself in, the team still does not accept him and constantly criticizes him. The “victim” of psychological mobbing begins to feel depressed, and their health may even deteriorate.
Isolation stage
At this stage, the “victim” is no longer perceived as a member of the team. The person is not invited to corporate events or birthdays, and people communicate with him less and less. This leads to a person’s emptiness and reluctance to work. As a result, both emotional and physical health deteriorate, the “victim” begins to get sick more often and miss work.
Dismissal from work
At this stage, the employee no longer wants to remain in the workplace and quits. In conditions of pressure from colleagues, it is difficult to force yourself to work.
Causes and consequences of mobbing
Mobbing in an organization, school or any other group is by no means uncommon. Quite often, a victim of psychological violence needs the help of a psychologist to understand the reason for such pressure. Only by understanding what lies behind this behavior can you avoid repeating situations in the future.
What are the reasons for mobbing?
Let's consider some points that can provoke mobbing in a team.
Newbie
When a new person joins a team, he cannot avoid being assessed by his colleagues. If he does not fit into the rules and norms of an already established team, then they begin to survive him. Being a “black sheep” is fraught with complete rejection from others, which is why the new employee does not stay long. Psychologists assure that in a team where everyone started their work from scratch, mobbing is excluded.
Difficult psychological climate in the team
At work, where there is an angry boss, low wages or non-payment at all, constant gossip, etc., in such a team you cannot talk about well-organized work. Surely, people come here without the desire to work, so everyone’s mood is quite tense. There are situations where employees are constantly bullied by their boss, which makes work simply unbearable. To relieve tension in the team, they find the weakest person and begin to suppress him. The victim eventually quits.
No workload
Due to low employment at work (this also happens), employees, out of boredom and idleness, begin to spread gossip and rumors about colleagues. This often happens in women's groups. Where every person is busy with his own work, and is focused on it to the maximum, mobbing is extremely rare.
Envy from colleagues
Mobbing at work is familiar firsthand to those rising up the career ladder. Some people are designed in such a way that other people's success makes them jealous. And instead of being happy for their colleague, employees begin to interfere with him in every possible way. They also envy those who are smarter, prettier, and earn more. Unfortunately, there is no escape from envy. In this situation, try not to boast about your successes and be as equal as possible with your colleagues.
Victim by definition
There are people who do not fit into any team. This is due to the fact that they do not know how to protect themselves and their interests, i.e. simply “take the hit.” Such individuals are more likely than others to encounter professional mobbing.
What are the consequences of mobbing?
As a result of mobbing, a person becomes disoriented and exhibits the following psychological aspects:
- Lack of confidence in yourself and your professional abilities;
- Phobias may develop;
- Self-esteem falls;
- Depression, stress, low mood appear;
- Aggression towards loved ones may develop;
- Decreased performance.
How to resist mobbing at work?
In any situation, before leaving, you need to try to find a way out. Mobbing in the workplace can be overcome using the advice of psychologists.
Situation analysis
If you have become a victim of mobbing, then first of all try to understand why this happened. It's never too late to quit your job and find a new job, but where is the guarantee that this won't happen again?
Self Confidence
If you see that, according to all the signs of mobbing, you are the victim of psychological violence, then it’s time to prove to everyone that you are worthy of working here. Become not just a super employee, but prove to everyone that you are irreplaceable. More self-confidence and less attention to your “good” colleagues.
Control of the situation
Never relax. The closest attention is being paid to you now, so there should be no mistakes on your part. This is out of the question. Be attentive to any words and actions of your colleagues - do not trust their unexpected goodwill toward you. It's not that simple.
Ability to stand up for yourself
It's one thing to ignore grins and not pay attention to caustic attacks. It’s quite another to allow people to “wipe their feet on you.” Confidently and calmly discuss what you are not happy with. Quiet silence in this situation will not work to your advantage.
Dialogue with colleagues
Often a frank conversation with your colleagues is the best help when mobbing. Ask directly what doesn’t suit them about you and try to get out of the current situation together. It is in your hands to establish relationships with them.
We talk less - we listen more
One never becomes a victim of mobbing out of the blue. Both sides are to blame. You gave a reason, colleagues took advantage of it. Be smarter and wiser - learn to listen more than talk.
Showing toughness
If you are a newbie, your colleagues are most likely testing your strength. Apparently, this is how it is customary to “greet” all new employees. Do not allow yourself to be bullied, stop even attempts to do so. Sometimes a tough rebuff is more effective than silence. Put your colleagues in their place right away.
Job change
If nothing helps, and you are still the “black sheep” in the team, then think - do you really need this job? Why would you waste your time on something that no one values? It's time to find another suitable place where you will be respected more. Don't be afraid to change jobs - psychological health is much more important than material values. Any psychologist will tell you this.
Mobbing at school
It is not uncommon for mobbing to happen among teenagers. At this age, children are quite cruel, so it becomes difficult for the victim. What is children's mobbing, how to fight it and stop bullying at school - we will find out below.
Reasons for school mobbing
Mobbing in an educational environment has its own prerequisites.
Bad atmosphere in the family
Inharmonious relationships in the family, constant reproaches from parents, and rejection of the child lead to the fact that such a teenager becomes anxious, prone to apathy and depression. With such self-doubt, it is easy to become a victim of ridicule and hostility.
Excessive time spent on the computer
The craze for computer games makes it more difficult for children to perceive reality. Psychologists have proven that the psychological state of such children can be assessed as depressive and often aggressive. Teenagers take out all their negativity on their classmates, plus difficulties arise with adaptation, which leads to “hermitism.” The best alternative to a computer game is a book: it’s both more useful and educational.
Internet
Experts have long noticed that frequently spending time on the Internet does not bring anything good. For a child’s delicate mental and not always fully formed organization, this is fraught with mental disorders. Mobile phone is also included here. In addition, it is often used as a means to bully classmates.
Psychological characteristics of personality
Children with low self-esteem, poor academic performance, and increased anxiety most often become victims of school mobbing. Often, nationality is also part of the reason for mobbing.
Mobbing also happens on the way to school, when a teenager is regularly beaten or ridiculed. Often a teenager asks his parents to take him to school, or does not want to go there. In any case, you should talk to your child if you see a similar situation.
Types of mobbing at school
The following methods of mobbing in a school environment are distinguished:
- Mockery, ridicule, cruel jokes and jokes - the victim of mobbing is subjected to negative verbal influence and becomes a common laughing stock among his classmates;
- Boycott - the teenager is not openly noticed, shunned, does not want to communicate with him, does not help him, and is isolated in every possible way from joint activities;
- Physical violence is common among boys; physically weak children are more often subjected to it;
- Threats - they threaten physically or mentally, use ultimatums, force them to obey against their will.
School bullying, at first glance, does not seem serious. However, psychologists assure that mobbing at school can also affect one’s sense of self in adult life. Such children grow up with a lot of complexes, fears, and worries. In addition, mobbing often becomes a cause of child suicide. How can you help your child avoid the fate of becoming a victim of mobbing?
Ways to combat mobbing at school
First of all, it is worth saying that only through the joint efforts of parents and teachers can you help your child avoid aggression from his peers.
Supervision of children by teacher
This applies to lessons, recess, and after-hours. The teacher must notice everything that happens in the classroom and anticipate possible conflicts.
Extracurricular activities with the class
Only competent work by a teacher at school will help avoid mobbing. It is important to involve a psychologist when difficulties arise, communicate with the guys more often, and become an authority for them. It is imperative to conduct a class hour at which all current issues related not only to studies, but also to relationships in the team will be discussed.
Attention to the child from parents
It is very important to develop healthy self-esteem in a child from childhood. To do this, you don’t need to constantly monitor him, but you also don’t need to overindulge him. The task of parents is to raise a self-confident person. This is only possible with a trusting relationship between an adult and a teenager.
Opportunity to solve the problem yourself
If you see that your child has become a victim of mobbing, then give him the opportunity to resolve the conflict himself. Do not aggravate the situation with your help unless the teenager asks you for it.
In situations where a child turns to you for advice, be sure to help him. Firstly, discuss the situation with a teacher and psychologist, and secondly, talk to your child more often. Only a parent can give his child the necessary confidence, be his friend.
The above measures can be a good preventive measure against school mobbing. In any case, if the situation gets out of control and overcoming mobbing becomes impossible, it is never too late to change schools. The psychological health of a child is much more important than the proximity of the school to home or its prestige.
In conclusion, we would like to say that mobbing can and should be fought by first analyzing the reasons for this phenomenon. In any situation there is a way out, which one you will have is up to you to decide.
"HR Officer. Personnel Management", 2011, N 3
MOBBING AS MOBBING: SOURCES AND CONSEQUENCES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TERROR
The article discusses the main forms and causes of mobbing at work. Shows how mobbing affects people and organizations. Recommendations are given to counter mobbing.
The term “mobbing” has become widespread in Russian practice relatively recently, although every working person has encountered this phenomenon and the conflicts it causes at least once in their life.
Dictionary of personnel management. Mobbing (from the English to mob - attack, poison) - psychological terror, mainly group, bullying against one of the employees by his colleagues, subordinates or superiors, including constant negative statements addressed to the employee, his social isolation within organizations, ...dissemination of knowingly false information about an employee, etc.
Mobbing is...
This term refers to the deliberate harassment or unfair treatment of an employee by colleagues or superiors.
Group terror occurs in the “dead zone” - between permitted and prohibited actions: seemingly without violating any rules, those around them ignore the victim, compromise or ridicule him, systematically impede access to information, etc. Moreover, harassing actions become mobbing only in that case , if they are constantly repeated.
Heinz Leymann, who first used the term “mobbing” to refer to targeted psychoterrorism in the workplace, structured his definition in the form of the mobbing questionnaire below. In addition to communicative actions, the questionnaire also includes physical actions and acts of violence.
You are a “victim” of mobbing if...
|
Have any actions been taken against you in the last six months? |
||
|
1. You are harmed and prevented from establishing social contacts: |
||
|
2. You are subject to systematic isolation: |
||
|
3. They change your tasks to punish you: |
||
|
4. Your credibility is damaged: |
||
|
5. They threaten you: |
||
|
If in relation to you, at least once a week for six months |
It should be noted that not all possible mobbing actions are described in the questionnaire, and the procedural aspect of mobbing is endless. In particular, in recent years a new phenomenon has emerged - cyber-mobbing.
Dictionary of personnel management. Cybermobbing is intentional insults, threats, harassment and communication of compromising data to others using modern means of communication, usually over a long period of time. K. is carried out either on the Internet (for example, using email, instant messaging programs such as ICQ, on social networks, by posting obscene video materials on portals) or via a mobile phone (for example, using SMS messages or annoying calls). Often the perpetrators of these hooligan acts do them anonymously, so the victim does not know who is bothering her.
Mobbing comes in different forms
“Horizontal” mobbing (team against colleague) is most often manifested in relation to newcomers by older employees of the organization. This could be a “boycott” by colleagues, providing incorrect information, ignoring requests, gossip and many other “little things” that add up to a single picture of mobbing. This usually happens if a newcomer is seen as a competitor or if he stands out from the team due to his eccentricity.
Example. In one trading company, long-serving employees were given a privileged “customer base” that generated good sales. And newcomers, even experienced ones, received just a telephone directory - call and look for clients yourself. Conflicts constantly arose in the department on this basis, because newcomers could not earn a normal income and considered this arrangement to be unfair. They periodically went to the management and demanded that equal conditions be created for everyone. And the veterans, in turn, accused their colleagues of inability to work and did not miss the chance to report to their superiors about their lack of professionalism. As an argument, they compared sales volumes, which were clearly not in favor of the newcomers.
Origins. The concept of “mobbing” was first introduced into scientific circulation (back in 1958) by Konrad Lorenz, a world-famous animal psychologist. While studying the behavior of domestic geese, he noticed that there are times when one bird is suddenly attacked by its relatives. This aggression seemed incomprehensible to him: either a struggle for supremacy in the pack, or a rejection of differences - external or internal. Later (in 1969), the Swedish doctor Peter-Paul Heinemann used this term to describe the phenomenon of people attacking a person because he is different from others.
Mobbing in the modern meaning of the word became known thanks to another Swedish practical psychologist and economic engineer Hanz Leymann. Leymann was the first to organize an extensive study on mobbing in Sweden in 1991, which covered about 3.5 thousand working people aged 18 to 65 years. The study showed that every fourth person is at risk of becoming a victim of mobbing for at least six months in their professional life. This study was initially received in Europe without much interest, as “purely Scandinavian history,” but gradually, thanks to publications, discussions in the press, and the interest of trade unions, the topic began to sound more and more clearly.
Often the cause of “horizontal” mobbing is envy of a more successful colleague. Thus, an experienced employee, whom his superiors suddenly begin to treat favorably, can become a victim of mobbing. The reason for mobbing may be competition for a better production task, higher status or higher wages.
In many cases, the instigators of “horizontal” mobbing are older employees who are afraid of losing their job and, because of this, find fault with their colleagues.
Sometimes mobbing is used to accustom team members to group norms, and sometimes simply out of boredom. Such pressure can be of a relatively harmless temporary nature (a kind of “initiation” as a member of the team).
Horizontal mobbing is more typical for government agencies or small family-type enterprises, where pressure, as a rule, comes not from above, but from colleagues. Mobbing in such teams is provoked due to shortcomings in the organizational structure of the enterprise, which include both unclear goal setting in the company and a vaguely defined range of job responsibilities. As a result of improper organization of work, internal tension accumulates in the team, requiring release and release. And as soon as one of the employees provokes aggression towards them with their behavior, appearance or something else, it can easily develop into real emotional bullying.
An internal incentive for horizontal mobbing can be the underworking of employees. The lack of orientation in work towards the final result and forced idleness force employees to look for a “scapegoat”. They often become those who, contrary to the general attitude, work persistently or simply surpass those around them in their professional qualities.
Example. One Russian organization conducted a survey showing that about 80% of employees had experienced some form of mobbing. This was manifested in the fact that they did not want to listen to their proposals, raised their voices, hid or gave incomplete information about the state of affairs, made excessive demands, accused them of incompetence, did not give them the opportunity to attend advanced training courses, etc. Among the reasons for such phenomena are employees they named the rejection of newcomers in the team, the low level of culture of business relations, the privileged position of individual employees, and impunity. The consequences of such relationships were also indicated: indifference to work, overload, excessive nervousness leading to depression, problems in personal life.
“Vertical” mobbing (manager versus subordinate) often occurs where there is a desire to make room for promotion, remove a competitor, or take revenge. The main ways to put pressure on subordinates are by presenting too low or too high demands on them, constant control, limiting powers, isolation, constantly changing work assignments, assigning meaningless, unpleasant and overwhelming tasks, hints of poor health or mental disorder. An equally popular way is to ignore the successes of an unwanted employee. A person’s salary is not increased, they “forget” about bonuses, they are not sent for training, not to mention the lack of basic praise. Managers can justify and rationalize their bullying, presenting it as logical events and supposedly objective requirements.
Example. Introducing the newly-minted employee to the editorial office, the head of the department joked not very well: “Meet the star of domestic journalism. Just don’t ask him for autographs, otherwise he won’t have time to work!” Need I say that such a presentation put an end to the career of the “star” in the provincial team? Without saying a word, the employees declared a “cold war” on the newcomer. They completely ignored him, did not share information, “forgot” to say about the shortened working day, and did not report on planning meetings and management orders. The story ended quickly: a month later, the “star of domestic journalism” wrote a letter of resignation of her own free will.
Food for thought. Mobbing abroad.
According to the results of a survey conducted in Germany among 4,500 workers in various industries, almost two-thirds of Germans (61%) were mobbing in the workplace, and in 34% of cases it was “nice colleagues”, in the remaining cases - a manager. Only a quarter of respondents assured that they had not personally encountered mobbing, and 12% of respondents honestly admitted that they had participated in bullying their colleagues.
Mobbing studies conducted in Austria, Germany, and Scandinavian countries showed that its manifestations were experienced by 1 to 16.9% of the population surveyed. At the same time, the European Parliament believes that mobbing has higher rates that are not amenable to statistical accounting. And the number of victims from it increases every year. This opinion is based on the results of a direct survey of workers in European Union countries.
The British Institute of Personnel and Development published the results of a survey on mobbing (in Britain the term “bullying” is more often used - workplace bullying). One in eight British employees have been victims of bullying in the workplace. More than half of those surveyed said that bullying is a daily practice in their company. When the British Trade Union Congress set up the Bad Boss Hotline to complain about a manager, 38% of callers complained about bullying by management, 15% about contracts (bondage conditions), 13% about overtime, 11 % - for unfair removal from office, 10% - for health and safety, 3% - for racial, sexual harassment and age discrimination. A study by the London Chamber of Commerce found that psychological terror in the workplace costs the UK £2 million a year. Mobbing is common in Japan - in a country where there are traditions of lifelong employment, people strive not to openly fire employees, but to make their life in the workplace so unbearable that they quit themselves.
In Western countries, the problem of mobbing is taken seriously; it strikes at the “holy of holies” of modern business - the philosophy of corporate relations and is equated to a violation of human rights. Europeans prefer to stipulate possible mobbing in employment contracts, and in the event of real office bullying, they go to court. In Europe, mobbing charges account for almost 10% of all cases brought to trial, according to research firm Management Issues.
One of the varieties of “vertical” mobbing assumes that the manager, for one reason or another, wants to get rid of the employee, but cannot do this in a legal way. For example, he needs to select a different team or save money on human resources. According to the law, it is almost impossible to fire a subordinate without serious reasons. It is much easier to constantly accuse an employee of incompetence, lack of discipline, set impossible tasks for him and, in the end, force him to leave of his own free will.
In the case of the so-called During sandwich mobbing, both management and colleagues turn against one of the employees. A mid-level manager may find himself in such a difficult situation. As a rule, he has deputies who dream of taking his place and for this reason resort to mobbing. In addition, the superior boss is also afraid that he might be caught.
The manager, the “victim” of sandwich mobbing, faces additional manifestations of it compared to ordinary employees, namely:
He is not given the necessary information or is given it too late, or orders from senior management are not conveyed;
Information comes to him in a distorted form;
The most incredible stories are spreading around the office at the speed of light, in which the boss is the main “hero”;
He is “overwhelmed” by the pessimism of his subordinates; they present the situation to the leader in such a light that it creates a feeling of complete hopelessness;
If previously he was invited to all meetings with senior management, now he learns about the time of their holding with a delay;
The higher authorities, bypassing the “victim” manager, receive some negative information about the work of his department;
Subordinates covertly or openly sabotage the execution of the manager’s orders.
Rejection of the new boss, especially if the latter was appointed “from above,” also often serves as a reason for “sandwich mobbing.” Sometimes the team is turned against new leaders through their own fault. Perhaps they too zealously took up the transformation in a new place, behaved too arrogantly, authoritarianly, or, on the contrary, indecisive.
Or maybe it's okay?
Some managers believe that mobbing is a competitive struggle, a competition that only strengthens the team. But a manager who encourages mobbing runs a great risk: the situation can get out of his control at any moment. An even more dangerous option: mobbing on the initiative of a manager. For example, a manager wants to get rid of an employee, but cannot do it legally. He begins to accuse the employee of incompetence, lack of discipline, and sets impossible tasks for him in order to force him to leave of his own free will. Such an example will most likely turn out to be “contagious” - and mobbing in the team will begin to spread. With all the ensuing consequences...
First of all, the consequences of mobbing affect a person’s health and mental state. Depending on the severity, frequency and duration of such exposure and on how psychologically resistant a person is to it, people can suffer from a number of psychological and physical disorders: from occasional sleep problems to nervous breakdowns, from irritability to depression, from difficulties with concentrating to panic states or heart attacks and even suicide (German psychiatrists, for example, estimate that mobbing causes almost 10% of suicides in the country).
Food for thought. What's happening in Russia.
Survey from the research center of the recruiting portal SuperJob. ru identified the main forms of aggression at work, the attitude of employees towards it and methods of psychological defense. The survey participants included 1,800 economically active Russians over 18 years of age.
The survey results may be surprising: 70% of Russians have at least once encountered hostility in a team. Women are slightly more likely to be affected (71%) compared to men (69%). The negative attitude also depends on age: the youngest (under 23 years old) get the least amount of it. A person’s financial well-being also turned out to be directly dependent on hostility from colleagues. Among Russians with an income of up to 15 thousand rubles. 65% faced this problem per month, and among those who earn over 45 thousand rubles, this number is already 73%. Women more often complain about the difficulties of relationships in women's groups, such as envy, gossip behind their backs, and other things that are unique to women's groups. Men's complaints are of a completely different nature. In the first place is the tense atmosphere and increased irritability of others, and many are quite tolerant of this - “there is a crisis in the country, there is no stability in the workplace.” The most important factor for men is the financial component. In their opinion, small salaries lead to a decrease in self-esteem, which automatically makes others more aggressive. In addition, men associate aggression in a team with a general lack of education, the fact that in our country insults and other forms of unfriendly attitude go with impunity, no one puts such people in their place. The most common form of attacks by colleagues is verbal abuse; 84% of all Russians who have ever encountered problems in a team complained about them. At the same time, oddly enough, this affects men more than women: 86% versus 83%. In second place is physical aggression, which is specific to certain male groups: men experience it five times more often than women.
Among other negative actions, intrigues, frame-ups, boycotts, slander, lies and psychological pressure were more common. Salty tea, a broken favorite cup, and even just inaction can also become a manifestation of aggression from colleagues.
As the survey showed, our fellow citizens more often have to deal with aggression from colleagues (57%) than from superiors (43%). Meanwhile, such a phenomenon as mobbing has not found any reflection in modern Russian legislation. The only civil law that covers the actions of aggressive employees is Art. 151 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, regulating the grounds for compensation for moral damage. However, in practice, it is almost impossible to prove the fact that it was because of the active harassment of work colleagues that an employee developed headaches, stress or other manifestations of moral suffering...
If an employee was only occasionally absent from work, then in the case of mobbing this can turn into frequent and long-term “sick leave”. Many who are targeted by mobbing suffer such severe health problems that they can no longer carry out their official duties. In the end, they quit voluntarily or against it, have their contract terminated, or are forced into early retirement.
It cannot be ruled out that some cases of attacks of unmotivated aggression may be a consequence of the feelings experienced by people who have been subjected to emotional violence at work.
Mobbing can pose a threat to the security of a company: an employee driven to the last point can purposefully cause harm - steal technology, a database, etc.
And in many cases, after a person is fired or quits, the health problems that arise can remain and even worsen and lead to a diagnosis such as post-traumatic stress. But it is not only the mental state and health of a person that are strongly negatively affected.
The consequences also have a serious impact on the families of these individuals and the organizations in which they work. Relationships suffer, the level of labor productivity in the company drops, because people's energy is directed to mobbing, and not to performing important daily tasks.
Food for thought. The influence of mobbing.
According to The Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute, psychological terror at work causes significant changes in work behavior as it affects the health of workers. Among those surveyed, the most common reactions to mobbing were stress (76%), paranoia (60%), headaches (55%), feelings of detachment or rejection (41%), doubt, shame and guilt (38%). Outside the organization, the consequences of mobbing are often expressed in nightmares (49%), insomnia and absent-mindedness (71% each). In 35% of cases, respondents noted significant changes in body weight; in 28%, mobbing is provoked by excessive consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, medications, and food.
The negative impact of mobbing on the “victim” continues even when she changes jobs; when a lot of time has passed since the oppression. Once faced with mobbing, an employee rarely forgets about it.
The effects of harassment in the workplace are generally negative for everyone involved. In most cases, persecution of an employee is associated with coercion to leave the organization. Thus, among the people who took part in the survey, 70% subsequently left their previous place of work (37% of their own free will, 33% for objective reasons), 17% remained working in the organization, but were transferred to another position.
The losses suffered by the “aggressors” are less pronounced: only 4% stop harassing workers under the influence of any sanctions and punishments, 9% are subject to internal transfers or dismissal. The consequences of mobbing include a reduction (full or partial) in wages (51% of respondents indicated this; 33% noted the absence of any changes in the material sphere).
Who is to blame and what to do?
So, who is to blame for mobbing?
Mobbing occurs due to the fault of the team when:
Employees suspect that their new colleague got the position out of competition, for example through an acquaintance;
The team feels that the former employee was fired unfairly;
The team is not ready to accept an innovator into its ranks;
Employees are simply looking for a “victim” - out of boredom, out of habit.
Mobbing occurs due to the fault of the manager when:
The manager deliberately pits employees against each other in order to create competitive relations in the team or to fire an objectionable person;
The manager suddenly weakens control and begins to leave the workplace for a long time;
The manager “dumps” information to various employees that increases anxiety in the team and provokes rumors.
Mobbing occurs due to the fault of the “victim” when:
The employee consciously or unconsciously opposes himself to the team, behaves defiantly (asks not to touch his mug, clears his shelf in the common refrigerator, demands to be called only by his first name and patronymic, etc.);
The employee demonstrates disrespect for the traditions established in the company, the work system, and informal leaders.
It should be emphasized that the “victim” of mobbing can be competent and self-confident people, since the persecutors see it as a threat to themselves, and aggressive behavior gives them a feeling of control over the situation.
In general, the following features of the organizational environment contribute to the development of mobbing:
Employees do not understand the company’s long-term goals and development plans;
The company's management does not have the experience and necessary management skills;
There is no (or insufficient) feedback: employees do not know whether they are doing a good job or not;
There are no clear job descriptions, areas of responsibility are not defined - tasks may overlap or duplicate;
There is no well-functioning decision-making mechanism in the company;
Poor communications, lack of information, delays in obtaining it and deliberate withholding (possession of information is perceived as a kind of power);
There are no opportunities for career growth, or career growth depends not on professionalism, but on the mood of management (at least, this is how the situation is perceived by the team);
Improper organization of work: some are overloaded, others have nothing to do.
What should a person do if faced with mobbing at work?
To the head of the company or division:
Do not ignore manifestations of mobbing. It is necessary to immediately understand the problem: why it arose, who is the instigator, who supports the attacker, who is the provocateur. And after the analysis, immediately take action: talk with employees one by one and with everyone together; transfer of one of the employees to another department (you can transfer either the “victim” or the “attacker”, depending on the circumstances), in extreme cases, the dismissal of the instigator;
Try to support the one who becomes a “victim” of mobbing, clearly indicate your negative attitude towards mobbing;
Form your own opinion about all employees of the company and do not support those who are trying to denigrate another employee in your eyes, suppress attempts at slander, slander and gossip;
Hold a team meeting on the topic of mobbing, where you can invite a specialist psychologist who will tell everyone what mobbing is, why it occurs and what consequences it leads to. Organization of psychological trainings on team cohesion, corporate holidays, and maintaining corporate culture in the company will also help in the fight against mobbing;
Try to maintain an atmosphere of friendliness, respect for any employee, politeness and tolerance in the team, and observe moral standards in the company;
Not making “favorites” is the first step towards the emergence of mobbing and various provocations (both from the “favorites” and from the dissatisfied);
Remember that the manager is responsible for all the employees entrusted to him, including psychologically, therefore he must constantly monitor not only the performance indicators, but also the psychological climate.
Example. In one team, in which the majority of the company were women, a conflict situation arose for no apparent reason. Almost all the women began to have a negative attitude towards one employee, who had her birthday the day before. On the morning of her birthday, the chef personally presented the birthday girl with a bouquet of flowers. This was not observed in him, and the assumption arose that he had a special disposition towards the employee. Naturally, this state of affairs was painfully perceived by others. In the "park" no one noticed that the boss was leaving on a business trip and could not congratulate the employee at the usual evening celebration.
Sometimes it happens that in order to restore peace, it is enough to simply explain to the victim of mobbing the “rules of the game” in a team. Sometimes the situation develops in such a way that only the dismissal of an uncooperative employee can resolve the conflict, even if he is a valuable employee.
Among the many reasons leading to mobbing, there are many that can be prevented by managers or human resources management. In particular, it is sometimes enough for management to pay more attention to the development of employees within the company, without replacing them with outside specialists at every opportunity. It is important to select new employees whose interests correspond to the existing corporate culture and who easily fit into the existing team. In addition, if the corporate culture presupposes that an employee is focused not only on achieving results “at any cost,” but also on a friendly attitude, teamwork and mentoring, then the chances of mobbing occurring in the company are significantly reduced.
To the “victim” of mobbing:
Try to resolve the conflict with patience and understanding, showing your opponent that you are not enemies and can find mutual understanding. This can help if the conflict has not yet developed into a protracted stage;
In the event of mobbing that begins, be especially attentive and constantly analyze the situation in the team, without succumbing to provocations and without allowing yourself to be drawn into protracted wars. It is also important to understand the reason for the mobbing that started (how and how you annoy someone): having understood the cause of the problem that has arisen, it is easier to deal with it;
If all the symptoms of mobbing are present, try to look for solutions to the problem: move to work in another department or branch of the company, move to another position in the same company, you can talk with the company’s management (sometimes you can extinguish the manifestations of mobbing by simply going on vacation);
In the event of particularly harsh mobbing, quit immediately, because health and mental balance are more important than any job.
A subordinate will not be able to bring the manager to legal liability if his rudeness is manifested in ignoring us, a demonstrative lack of greetings during meetings, or because he conducts a conversation in a raised voice, with derogatory intonations, or shows disdain for us or the results of the subordinate’s work. But in certain life situations, when boorish behavior or statements go beyond what is permitted (beyond the limits established by law), they may be a reason to go to court. Boorish behavior or statements may constitute crimes such as slander or insult.
Dictionary of personnel management. Slander is the dissemination of knowingly false information that discredits the honor and dignity of another person or undermines his reputation (Article 129 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Insult is a humiliation of the honor and dignity of another person, expressed in an indecent form (Article 130 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
An appeal to the court can be either a claim for the protection of honor, dignity, business reputation and compensation for moral damage, or an application to accept a private prosecution for libel or insult. The difference between these methods of judicial protection lies in the type of liability: in the first case, the perpetrator may become liable in the form of the court imposing on him the obligation to pay a certain amount of money, in the second case we're talking about on bringing a person to criminal liability for committing a crime (slander or insult).
Article 152 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation provides that a citizen has the right to demand in court a refutation of information discrediting his honor, dignity or business reputation, unless the person who disseminated such information proves that it is true.
When bringing a claim for protection of honor, dignity or business reputation, the court will establish the same circumstances as when bringing criminal liability for libel: the fact of dissemination of information; the defamatory nature of this information; inconsistency with their reality.
Bibliography
1. Fellau E. G. Conflicts in the workplace. M.: Omega-L, 2006.
2. Bryant M., Buttigieg D., Hanley G. Poor bullying prevention and employee health: some implications. // International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 2009. Vol. 2. Iss: 1. P. 48 - 62.
3. Bullying and harassment at work: a guide for managers and employers. London: Acas. Available at: http:/acas. org. uk.
4. Bullying at work: beyond policies to a culture of respect. Guide. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: cipd. co. uk.
5. Godwin K. Dealing with bullying and harassment in higher education. Equal Opportunities Review. 2009. No. 188. May. P. 13 - 14.
6. Fisher-Blando Judith L. Workplace bullying: aggressive behavior and its effect on job satisfaction over productivity // University of Phoenix, February 2008.
7. Hoff Dianne L., Mitchell Sidney N. Cyberbullying: causes, effects, and remedies // Journal of Educational Administration, 2009. Vol. 47. Iss: 5. P. 652 - 665.
8. Ishmael A. Bullying and harassment policies. Equal Opportunities Review. 2008. No. 176. May. P. 8 - 10.
10. Suff R. Best behavior: tackling bullying and harassment. IRS Employment Review. 2006. No. 845. 21 April. P. 17 - 20.
11. Townend Anni Identifying and managing bullying in the workplace // Human Resource Management International Digest, 2008. Vol. 16. Iss: 6. P. 3 - 5.
13. Wolff C. Osting the workplace bully: learning from experience. IRS Employment Review. 2006. N 841. 17 February. P. 8 - 17.
14. Site materials: bullyonline. org, workplace-violence. com, hbr. org, aggressionmanagement. com, workplacebullying. org, ipd. org, psyfactor. org/lib/bullying. htm, mobbing-usa. com, bully-online. org.
V. Konovalova
Department of Personnel Management
State University of Management,
Russian Government Prize
in the field of education
Good day, dear readers. Today we will talk about what mobbing at work is. You will find out why it occurs. Find out exactly how it manifests itself. Let's talk about methods of dealing with it.
Definition and classification
The term “mobbing” comes from the word “mob”, which means “crowd” in English. Layman defined mobbing as the attitude of people or one person towards a specific individual, manifested by repeated hostile attacks.
There are certain types of mobbing. Depending on the direction they are distinguished:
- horizontal – harassment occurs from peers;
- vertical - oppression occurs on the part of the leader.
Depending on the manifestations there are:
- latent - pressure on an employee is applied in a hidden way, manifested by isolation from other colleagues;
- open - bullying occurs in front of everyone, the “victim” is openly mocked, humiliated and insulted.
Stages of development
- The emergence of prerequisites. For example, the result of a recent conflict between colleagues. Causes a deterioration in the climate in the team. Disagreements can be either professional in nature or based on personal hostility.
- Search for a victim. This role often falls on a newcomer, against whom aggressive actions are directed.
- Active stage. The victim is constantly subject to ridicule, mockery, and is constantly criticized. The target of bullying begins to experience depression, feels depressed, and his health may deteriorate.
- Insulation. The stage when the individual is no longer perceived as an employee, he is not invited anywhere, and they do not want to communicate with him. The victim feels empty, the desire to work disappears, and his health, both physical and emotional, deteriorates.
- Dismissal. The stage at which the victim realizes that he cannot exist in such a team and decides to leave work.
Why does it occur
Let's look at what reasons may influence the development of mobbing in a team.
- Envy. Some colleagues may want to ruin the life of another because he is more successful and is moving better up the career ladder. For example, a situation when a new employee appears in the team, who is a beautiful and young girl, and also has good professional skills. If the organization predominantly employs older women, and even those who have problems in their personal lives, they will probably have a negative attitude towards the new girl.
- Competition. A situation where a person works hard to get a position, and then someone else is put in that position.
- Dissatisfaction. It may concern salary, position, or life in general. And then, with the help of mobbing, people rise at the expense of others and feel their superiority.
- Conflict. There is a desire to take revenge on someone, especially if one’s self-esteem has been damaged.
- Sadistic tendencies. An aggressor can choose a new victim for himself because he gets pleasure from causing harm to someone.
- Fear. With the arrival of new management, people may experience great fear of possible changes.
- Authority. The new bosses may resort to terrorizing their employees, believing that they would rather be feared than respected.
- Boredom. When people have monotonous work, they become bored and try to diversify their everyday days, and then they begin to mock and terrorize someone.
Manifestations of mobbing
Certain signs indicate that bullying by colleagues is taking place:
- denunciation;
- nagging;
- boycott;
- deliberate isolation;
- accusations;
- spreading false rumors;
- damage to things;
- harm to health, can be manifested by placing buttons on a chair or pouring a laxative into a drink;
- causing physical harm.
Possible consequences
A person who has experienced bullying may develop:
- lack of self-confidence, including professional skills;
- decreased self-esteem;
- development of phobias;
- formation of a depressive state;
- decreased performance;
- An aggressive mood may develop towards people and even relatives.
76% of people who are the target of mobbing suffer from severe stress, as well as its consequences, nightmares, insomnia, headaches, feelings of shame and guilt.
How to fight
Before you give up or decide to quit, you need to try to change the situation and find different ways to fight.
- Analyze what happened, why you were chosen to be the victim. A person can change his place of work, but where is the guarantee that the situation will not repeat in the new team?
- Increased self-confidence. You must prove to everyone that you can and deserve to work where you are now. Stop paying attention to your colleagues’ barbs and do your job.
- Control the situation, don’t relax, make a minimum of mistakes, pay special attention to every action and word of other employees directed in your direction. If someone unexpectedly changes their attitude towards you or is overly kind, be on your guard, most likely this is a trap. Don't let them wipe your feet on you.
- Don't be afraid to tell your colleagues what doesn't suit you. Prolonged silence can lead to the conclusion that you are an excellent whipping pillow.
- Try to start a dialogue with your colleagues. Talk to them frankly. It is possible that it will be possible to improve relations peacefully. Listen more than you talk.
- Showing toughness. When a new person appears in the team, his strength can be tested. Therefore, you need to avoid being bullied and immediately put people in their place.
- Change of job. In a situation where nothing changes and mobbing continues, this is the best option. Don't be afraid of the changes that come with a new job. Remember that psychological health is much more important than material wealth.
- Realize that bullying is rarely directed at charming people, so try to be friendly to everyone, but don’t grovel and be a hypocrite.
- Once you find yourself in a new team, try to communicate with everyone on the same level, be polite, do not get involved in internal squabbles, and do not draw attention to yourself with unusual behavior.
- Find a place for yourself that allows you to maintain your individuality and at the same time not stand out from the general team.
- Do not humiliate your colleagues, praise them, but do not overdo it, so that it does not smack of hypocrisy.
- Do not gossip or spread information you hear in a group.
- If someone provokes you into aggression, talk to him, find out what he wants to achieve by this. Learn not to react to offensive words.
- Adhere to the traditions accepted in the company, do not refuse to attend corporate events.
- Treat your boss with respect. Always perform your job duties conscientiously.
- If objective shortcomings in your person are to blame, try to change for the better.
- To be on the safe side, get a voice recorder or video camera so that all insults, illegal actions and threats from your colleagues are captured.
- Remember that you are a living person, and no one has the right to oppress you.
- Always resist, do not bow to the aggressor, you deserve respect.
- If any kind of damage is caused to you, there is no need to be timid, go straight to the police.
- It is necessary to create an organizational culture.
- It is necessary to monitor the possibility of career growth for each employee.
- It is important to ensure a healthy climate in the team.
- It is necessary to create feedback with employees.
- Each employee must have clearly defined duties and boundaries of personal responsibility.
- Clearly distribute labor between departments in the company.
- Avoid romantic relationships between a manager and a subordinate.
- Be intolerant of people who spread gossip and discourage intrigue.
Now you know how to resist mobbing in a team. As you can see, such an attitude from colleagues is unacceptable for the normal life of a person who is constantly oppressed and trying to survive. He is in a state of stress and cannot live or work normally. When joining a new team, remember the methods that help counter the development of mobbing.
Related articles
The best amulets against the evil eye and damage Amulet against the evil eye with hands for children
How to read the Psalter correctly
Delicious dishes with sausages
A glimpse of Bella. Romantic chronicle. A glimpse of genius. Messerer about Akhmadulina Boris Messerer glimpse of Bella romantic chronicle
I dreamed that I was sailing on a boat on the river
How to cook beef entrecote in a frying pan
About the company Foreign language courses at Moscow State University
Which city and why became the main one in Ancient Mesopotamia?
Why Bukhsoft Online is better than a regular accounting program!
Which year is a leap year and how to calculate it