Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies

First Advisor

Alexia Georgakopoulos

Second Advisor

Clair M. Rice

Third Advisor

Urszula Strawinska-Zanko

Keywords

conflict, generations, workplace bullying

Abstract

Workplace bullying has become increasingly prevalent in the workplace, and as such has led to instances of job dissatisfaction, and in extreme cases, workplace violence. It is important to understand workplace bullying as an organization, a manager, and particularly in the role of human resources in order to best address such situations. Current studies have evaluated the effects of workplace bullying, along with possible suggested causes – however with the vast differences in the four generations now working together in the workplace – this is an area that also needs to be addressed as the problem of workplace bullying continues to grow. The quantitative study of workplace bullying and the effect of multiple generations will be conducted using a survey, where respondents can disclose their experiences with workplace bullying anonymously. The data will be collected and analyzed using SPSS to determine any correlations between different generations and bullying in the workplace. Current theories such as social exchange theory (SET), social cognitive theory (SCT) and affective events theory (AET) will be used to support the current research. Upon reviewing the results of the study, the conclusions that can be made will help provide further research in the field, for both human resource professionals and organizations.

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