Chapter 8
A Model of Preventable Causes of Bullying
Our model has three components: the cutthroat work environment, the people, and the employer's response. The first and third aspects are completely in the employer's control: control the work environment to stop bullying. The first aspect is that the workplace environment, or climate, is cutthroat. Somehow, winner-take-all has become a zero-sum, strictly competitive way of dealing with others in the workplace. It's obvious in a sales organization how employees can quickly develop cutthroat strategies. Scrambling for limited funds, office space (as so comically depicted in the film Office Space), or the privilege of just holding on to a job can create a cutthroat culture.
Competition can arise simply when there is scarcity, real or imagined. In other words, when there's not enough funding to go around, not enough status to be granted, or not enough desirable tasks to assign, scarcity exists. There can also be the employee perception of scarcity even when it doesn't exist. That perception is all it takes to get workers scrambling for goodies. It's very easy to pit worker against worker in tough, lean times.
From our consulting practice, we've found some of the highest bullying rates in education. Why is this? Schools and universities are not sales organizations; they do not have sales contests. Funding scarcity is a reality in both K–12 and in higher education. Budgets are tight, and staffing cuts prevail. These institutions dedicated ...
