MacMahon, J;O'Sullivan, M;Murphy, C;Ryan, L;MacCurtain, S

2018

November

Journal Of Industrial Relations

Speaking up or staying silent in bullying situations: the significance of management control

Published

9 ()

EMPLOYEE SILENCE WORKPLACE HEALTH JUSTICE WORK EXPERIENCES PREVALENCE BURNOUT VOICE

49

473

491

A frequent prescription for providing voice for employees with respect to bullying is a policy supported by a procedural complaint mechanism. Yet research points to a pervasiveness of employee silence in workplaces in situations of workplace bullying. We examine the efficacy of workplace bullying procedures as a voice mechanism for employees in countering bullying and explore the role of management in shaping employee propensity to speak out against bullying utilising procedures. In doing so, we advance knowledge on workplace bullying by using an industrial relations perspective and placing employer control as a conceptual lens. Based on a large survey of nurses in Ireland, the findings demonstrate that managerial actions have significant influence on employees' propensity to utilise bullying procedures. The findings also provide some empirical support for the premise that management seek to use bullying behaviours to constrain employees' contestation of management decision making.

HOBOKEN

0019-8692

10.1111/irj.12230