Phenomenon of Mobbing as IT Users Burnout Premises. Insight from Poland

Abstract

Abstract. The article is related to ethical, human and organizational -motivational aspects of IS development. The first goal of the study is to explore the occurrence of professional burnout and psychological violence among IT users in Poland, a transition economy. The second goal is to verify the dependency of professional burnout and negative communication aspects as mobbing or bullying, among IT users. The results of the analysis fill the gap in the scientific literature that concerns the ethical experiences associated with negative communication at work, such as psychological violence (called bullying or mobbing) and its impact on the burnout of IT users. The authors adapted, elaborated and used two questionnaires. The first one related to mobbing includes such dimensions like impact of the hindering on the ability to communicate, actions to disrupt the public perception of the person, the impact of disrupting of social relations, activities affecting the quality of life and employee situation, actions detrimental effect on the health of the victim. The second questionnaire is related to burnout syndrome and its three dimensions like physical, social and mental symptoms. The study is based on a pilot survey conducted among 120 IT users in south-west region of Poland. The results of this analysis show that phenomena of mobbing and professional burnout exist. Mobbing has an impact on professional burnout of IT users in transition economies. Managers and politicians in transition economies can benefit our study, by the use our findings to change some legal rules and positively influence the organizational ethical climate that, in turn, will remove psychic aggression and positively affect job satisfaction.

Mobbing and Burnout in Emerging Knowledge Economies: An Exploratory Study in Poland

“…Mobbing can be understoond as an act or behaviour occuring frequently and for a longer time, relating to the employee or against an employee, involving on persistent and prolonged psychic aggression or intimidation of an employee, causing him low opinion of professional suitability, causing or intended to humiliate or ridiculing an employee, isolating him or causing elimination of a team of colleagues (17,24,25,26). Professional burnout syndrome (PBS) means the presence of chronic, physical and mental exhaustion, and certain personal characteristics of an individual concerned with stressinducing factors related to work [14,17,26,34].…”

“…Such phenomena can occur in difficult economic situations, particularly in the process of economy transition [16,17].…”

“…The company's and IS development can be reduced by exhausted, burnt out and inefficient staff, and by the unethical, negative aspects of human communication, such as psychological violence called mobbing/ bullying [17,24,25]. Such phenomena can occur in difficult economic situations, particularly in the process of economy transition [16,17].…”

“…Good communication at work, ethical behaviors and attitudes of co-workers and supervisors contribute to organizational productivity, and company's success [18,21]. Unfortunately manifestations of negative communication as psychic aggression -mobbing, more and more often occur in transition economies [17,19] and can decrease employees effectiveness probably because of burnout [17,26].…”

“…Professional burnout syndrome (PBS) means the presence of chronic, physical and mental exhaustion, and certain personal characteristics of an individual concerned with stressinducing factors related to work [14,17,26,34].…”