ABSTRACT
Workplace bullying has been identified as a major occupational and social problem that has been in existence for ages. It is considered damaging, continual and long lasting where one party exerts some negative influence and supremacy over the other party. This study examined the impact on workplace bullying on employee productivity which eventually affects the productivity of a firm. Specifically, this study addresses the impact that it has on a target‟s ability to perform through exploring bullying from the viewpoint of both targets and witnesses.
The study attempts to answer one key question. “Does workplace bullying have an effect on productivity?” Focusing on bullying in 7 Multinational Companies in Ghana, 29 targets and 21 witnesses to bullying formed the sample with the aid of self-administered questionnaires. Findings suggest that bullying does affect a target‟s productivity and ultimately an organisation‟s productivity as was noted by most of the respondents (86%). Moreover, most respondents reported that they were least productive (52%) due to bullying at work.
Also, findings indicate that as a result of bullying in the organisation, duties and responsibilities are not performed to maximum potential, hence leading to a loss in productivity. The study does not only establish these facts but provide in-depth knowledge, useful efforts to identify, prevent, reduce and combat workplace bullying in order to prevent loss in productivity.
Keywords: Workplace Bullying, Productivity, Multinational Companies in Ghana
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………………………. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………………………………. ii
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………….. iii
LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………………….. vi
LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………….. vii
CHAPTER ONE…………………………………………………………………………………… 1
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………… 1
CHAPTER TWO………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK……………………………… 9
CHAPTER 3…………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………………………………. 25
CHAPTER 4…………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
ANALYSIS OF DATA AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS……………………………….. 31
CHAPTER 5…………………………………………………………………………………….. 54
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION……………………………………………….. 54
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………….. 58
Appendix 1…………………………………………………………………………………….. 63
APPENDIX 2……………………………………………………………………………………. 67
APPENDIX 3……………………………………………………………………………………. 68
APPENDIX 4……………………………………………………………………………………. 69
APPENDIX 5……………………………………………………………………………………. 70
APPENDIX 6……………………………………………………………………………………. 71
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 4.1- Target‟s and witnesses responses in relation to productivity factors…… 36
TABLE 4.2- Demographic profile of targets on bullying in the selected organisations……… 49
TABLE 4.3- Demographic profile of witnesses to bullying in the selected organisations….. 50
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 4.1 Effect of bullying on productivity…………………………………………………………….. 33
FIGURE 4.2 Productivity factors………………………………………………………………………………. 34
FIGURE 4.3 Target‟s and witnesses responses in relation to productivity factors……………….. 34
FIGURE 4.4 Rating the level of employee‟s productivity………………………………………………………………….. 36
FIGURE 4.5 End result of bullying behaviour in the organisation………………………………….. 38
FIGURE 4.6 Percentage of respondents who experienced bullying (targets)………………….. 39
FIGURE 4.7 Percentage of respondents who witnessed bullying…………………………………….. 39
FIGURE 4.8 Bully‟s position held in the organisation relative to the target‟s position…………. 40
FIGURE 4.9 Kind of bullying behaviour…………………………………………………………………………. 42
FIGURE 5.0 Relationship between kind of bullying behaviour and gender of Targets……… 42
FIGURE 5.1 Responses showing how bullying behaviour is handled………………………………… 44
FIGURE 5.2 Responses showing how effective the specific bullying policy was………………. 47
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Introduction
“The serial bully, who in my estimation accounts for about one person in thirty in society, is the single most important threat to the effectiveness of organisations, the profitability of industry, the performance of the economy, and the prosperity of society.” (Field, 1999)
What this quote reveals are pictures of sour, devalued and ruined organisations and society as a whole. Nevertheless, does bullying always result in such threats? If not, then does bullying only reflect an inherent nature of humans as they interact? Individuals engage in both positive and negative social interactions whereby a positive interaction generates a positive psychological impact and a negative interaction generates a negative psychological impact. An intimidating behaviour develops as a result of a negative social interaction with bullying, aggression, harassment and violence being examples of such behaviours (Hadikin & O‟Driscoll, 2000).
