The Right To Dignity At Work: Critical Management Studies And Corporate Social Responsibility Insights Into Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying is a severe and pervasive problem in the United States and around the world. Workplace bullying affects millions of workers, leading to lost employment, psychological and physical illness, and injuries. The research on workplace bullying and the laws to protect targets of workplace bullying are both in their infancy. There is a lack of agreement on a definition of workplace bullying, and little research has been completed on remedial methods to address bullying. In the United States there is no real legal remedy for workplace bullying. The purpose of my research is to gain insight into targets' experiences with workplace bullying in order to better define workplace bullying, to gain an understanding of the outcomes of workplace bullying, to be able to begin to understand potential reasons for workplace bullying, and to be able to begin to develop model solutions to workplace bullying. This research suggests that the current definitions of workplace bullying are under-inclusive. Requirements of repetitiveness, intent, and a heightened level of severity often exclude many actual bullying acts from definitions of bullying. A broader, more inclusive, human-rights-based definition of workplace bullying is developed in this research. Further, this research demonstrates that the legal system in the US offers little protection to targets of workplace bullying. The focus of the US law on discrimination rather than dignity and judicial interpretations of the elements of workplace harassment eliminate the majority of bullying claims from any type of legal protection. Internationally, targets are afforded more protection, but there are still gaps in coverage. The insight gained into workplace bullying in this research is the first step to solving this problem of abuse in the workplace. Further research should be conducted to explore the reasons for bullying and for the lack of legal response to workplace bullying in the United States. Research should also be conducted to explore various paths to eliminate workplace bullying, including the role of labor unions, alternative dispute resolution, training, and changes to the current legal environment