Predictors of Antisocial and Prosocial Behaviour of Bystanders in Workplace Mobbing

Abstract

When will bystanders of workplace mobbing show antisocial or prosocial behaviour toward the victim? Results of a 2 × 2 vignette study (N = 177) suggest that high perceived responsibility of the victim for the onset of the mobbing evokes anger and consequently antisocial bystander behaviour, whereas low perceived responsibility generates sympathy and consequently prosocial bystander behaviour. The results further indicate that bystanders will show more antisocial behaviour and less prosocial behaviour toward the victim when they anticipate stigma by association. The implications of these results for interventions seeking to influence bystanders' behaviour in the context of workplace mobbing and for further research on this bystander behaviour are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exploring the influence of workplace violence and bystander behaviour on patient safety in Korea: A pilot study

“…Facilitating bystanders incite and assist bullies, which is shown by either direct participation in the violence, mocking the victim or supporting the bully (Paull et al, 2012; Salmivalli et al, 1996). When it is perceived that the reactions of the bystanders are advantageous to the bully, the bystanders are deemed similar to the bully, which strengthens both the frequency and intensity of the violence (Mulder, Pouwelse, Lodewijkx, Bos, & van Dam, 2016). Furthermore, it largely influences the overall atmosphere of the group, hinders the group climate and raises concerns for the other members of the group concerning the possibility of being victimized (Báez‐León et al, 2016; Rayner et al, 2002).…”

“…Among workplace members, bystander behaviour depends on various situations. Work‐group bystanders’ behaviour is influenced by perceptions of violence and organisational environment, including social group norms and group atmosphere (Chekroun & Brauer, 2002; Mulder et al, 2016). For example, nurses are afraid of retaliation when defending victims and they may feel that their actions cannot lead to any changes (Gaffney et al, 2012).…”

Factors influencing intention to help and helping behaviour in witnesses of bullying in nursing settings

“…One of such studies, using hypothetical scenarios depicting work situations, found that witnesses were afraid to help victims when harassment was supported by supervisors (Shorenstein, ). More recently, other studies using vignettes revealed that participants showed more fear responses and weaker intentions to help victims when presented with an imaginary situation where one worker helped a victim of bullying and because of it he/she was bullied by other colleagues ( Mulder, Pouwelse, Lodewijkx, Bos, & Dam, ; Mulder et al., ). In congruence with the results presented here, these studies suggest that witnesses often fear to intervene, even when having the desire to do so, and their fear constitutes a key element explaining both their lack of support to victims and apathy towards bullying and negative behaviours.…”

Does the number of perpetrators matter? An extension and re‐analysis of workplace bullying as a risk factor for exclusion from working life

“…Additionally, we recommend empirical investigations of bystander roles in this regard. Vignette studies have shown that fear of so-called stigma by association is conditioned by whether other employees partake in the bullying situation, which increases the likelihood that bystanders will also enact antisocial behaviour towards the target (Mulder, Pouwelse, Lodewijkx, Bos, & van Dam, 2016). Hence, a closer look at bystanders of group bullying versus bullying enacted by individuals may yield important insights with high practical and theoretical value.…”