A comparative study measuring differences in the prevalence of conflicts, burnout, bullying, and sexual harassment among municipal employees between two European cities was conducted using a self-report instrument, the Psychosocial Workplace Inventory. The cities were Valencia, Spain (n=1,007) and Vaasa, Finland (n=1,979). Significant differences were found between reports of employees from the two cities. The Spanish employees reported higher scores on every type of dysfunctional workplace behavior measured: conflicts, burnout, bullying, and sexual harassment.

Abstract:Estimates of the prevalence of psychological harassment (mobbing/bullying) in the workplace vary enormously from one country to another. One of the main reasons for this variation is the method of evaluation used to make these estimates. Research on mobbing or bullying at work is basically guided by two methods: the perceived victimization method and the perceived exposure to bullying behaviors method. These methods, and their combination, were used to estimate the prevalence of bullying in a representative sample of the working population (N = 1730) of the Region of Valencia (Spain). The results obtained suggest the following percentages of victims: (i) perceived victimization: 19.5% (N = 338); (ii) exposure to bullying behavior: 12.8% (N = 221); (iii) both methods: 8.4% (N = 146). The study offers other results related to the correspondence between the methods, the most and least frequent bullying behaviors, and the gender and status of the bully.

Within the framework of recent historiography about the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in modernizing public health and the multifaceted concept of global health, this study addresses the impact of the WHO’s “country programs” in Spain from the time it was admitted to this organization in 1951 to 1975. This research adopts a transnational historical perspective and emphasizes attention to the circulation of health knowledge, practices, and people, and focuses on the Spain-0001 and Spain-0025programs, their role in the development of virology in Spain, and the transformation of public health. Sources include historical archives (WHO, the Spanish National Health School), various WHO publications, the contemporary medical press, and a selection of the Spanish general press.

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