Abstract
This chapter examines the effects of workplace cyberbullying in organizations that are done with criminal intent with subtle means and explores various research reports as the remedial measures to control this social menace. It explores workplace cyberbullying as a hate crime and harassment at the workplace by the perpetrator with criminal intent. The chapter justifies with evidence gathered through research across the world, as to how workplace cyberbullying is perpetrated with subtle means. It also explores with various research studies how workplace cyberbullying is growing as a social menace. The menacing effects are categorized into psychological, social, and organizational in the chapter and are analysed as to how the perpetrator plans their modus operandi to inflict pain in the workplace.
TopIntroduction
Workplace cyberbullying is defined (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf and Cooper 2016) as an act of offending, socially excluding, negatively affecting someone's work tasks or bullying with mobbing to be applied to a particular activity to damage the self-confidence of a person in an organization setting. Various forms of workplace cyberbullying exist across the world, including developing countries like India (Denison, Daniel R., Haaland, S. & Goelzer, P,2004). Workplace bullying takes place in various types, like serial bullying where a bully selects one after another to bully them, destroy them and then moves to destroy another (Janis, Irving L,1972). Secondary bullying is putting pressure on the victim to deal with, by a serial bully, and sink the victim to the lowest level (Flamholtz, Eric,2001). The other types of bullying are pair bullying, where twin targets with one active and one verbal and the other often watching and listening (Flamholtz, E.G., Narasimhan; Kannan, & Rangapriya,2005), the gang bullying or group bullying that is usually called mobbing, scapegoating and victimization, who can flourish in corporate bullying. This kind of bullying climates exist in Indian situation (Flamholtz, Eric G & Randle, Yvonne,2011) and can occur anywhere inside an organization at any level. Vicarious bullying is where typical triangulation (Flamholtz, Eric G & Randle, Yvonne2011), as to how the aggression is passed around two parties and they are encouraged to fight, while regulations bullying is where the bully forces the target to comply the rules, regulations, procedures or laws regardless of its application (Flamholtz, Eric & Randle Yvonne,2014). The organizational values in any kind of organization always determine how the employees approach their work, their individual feelings about their jobs and the pride or prejudice about the organization they work for (Boxx, Odom, & Dunn 1991). Although the work culture needs to be within the framework of norms and values regarding the work, (Peek-Asa C, Runyan, C. W, & Zwerling, C,2001). It is often influenced largely by the employee's attitude towards work (Baron, R.A, & Neuman, J.H,1996). The success of any organization depends on the importance given to work values, and the reflection of the same in the work behaviour by the employees in the organization. The work culture with strong values nurtures the most advantageous and generous work culture in any kind of organization. It is very easily said than done, by most organizations, even after achieving success amid a competitive environment (Greenberg, L.& Barling, J,1999). Organizations now are plagued with newer menacing factors like workplace cyberbullying. The prevalence of workplace cyberbullying has not spared even the digitalized work culture. Workplace cyberbullying is now a menacing social epidemic spread across the world, and it the flip side of the technological developments (Brown, Theresa J.; Sumner, & Kenneth E,2006). The menacing effects of workplace cyberbullying do have become immune to any measures taken including a strong organisational culture that improvises the positive psychology of the people at work. Hence the negative influences of uncontrolled or underrated damages about the workplace cyberbullying on the employees is damaging many organizations, and the proportion of psychological damages to the innocent employee victims that go unreported or unresolved even if reported and its impact is what this chapter deals with. Any organization that aspires for success first needs to become an extraordinary workplace. It needs to behold appropriate work values with exemplary work culture (Sorensen, G Dennerlein, J.T,&; Hopcia, K 2011). Apart from the organization culture is imminent and is a very important sustainable point of difference from the unsuccessful organization. The new age organisation of the world irrespective of its place within the top 100 or in any means of comparison needs to establish a very safe and positive work culture to be sustainable in the world, and most importantly respected as a better place of work to be successful. (Rousseau, V;& Aube, C,2011). The present generation of workers by all means will not tolerate a bad working culture (Rousseau, V;& Aube, C, 2011), for any reasons known or unknown. The work culture stems from leadership (Tepper, B.J, 2000), is a well-known fact, and it is always driven by leadership. The work culture starts from the point of how leaders behave in the organization, and what they do, what they say, and above all of these, what they value in their work, often become the innate culture of the organization. Those acts in terms of work values are perpetrated to the next lower levels in the sequel and be it good or bad values, develops as a culture (Schat, Aaron C. H.; Kelloway, E.& Kevin,2003).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Culture: The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people (for ex: workers in an organization) or society.
Workplace Aggression: Workplace aggression includes behaviours, ranging from verbal acts (e.g., insulting someone or spreading rumours) or involvement in physical attacks such as punching or slapping.
Bullying: Anyone using force, coercion, threat, or abuse, aggressively to dominate or intimidating behaviour often or as habitual by the perpetrator on the victim.
Digital Age: In other words, it is called the Information age, since the introduction of the personal computer with subsequent technology introduced that facilitates the transfer of information freely.
Workplace: Any place or a specified organised space where people work such as an office or factory.
Cyberbullying: A persistent pattern of mistreating (Chatman & John, 1994 AU197: The in-text citation "Chatman & John, 1994" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ) by causing either physical or emotional harm. It also includes various tactics by using verbal, non-verbal, psychological, physical abuse and humiliating for bullying employee including all these electronically.
Perpetrator: Any person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act in an organization or within any premises.
Values: Values are defined as generalized, enduring beliefs about the personal and social desirability that can be meaningfully employed at cultural, societal, institutional, organizational, group and individual.