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The Early Stages of Workplace Bullying and How It Becomes Prolonged: The Role of Culture in Predicting Target Responses

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  • Al-Karim Samnani

Abstract

The extant workplace bullying literature has largely overlooked the potential role of culture. Drawing on cognitive consistency theory, culture’s influence on targets’ reactions toward subtle forms of bullying during its early stages is theorized. This theoretical analysis proposes that employees high in individualism and low in power distance are more likely to engage in resistance-based responses toward subtle acts of bullying than employees high in collectivism and power distance, respectively. Targets’ resistance-based responses, which are also influenced by learned helplessness deficits, along with perpetrator revenge behaviors, influence whether bullying becomes prolonged. A number of testable propositions are offered based on the conceptual model presented. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and avenues for future research are offered. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

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  • Al-Karim Samnani, 2013. "The Early Stages of Workplace Bullying and How It Becomes Prolonged: The Role of Culture in Predicting Target Responses," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(1), pages 119-132, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:113:y:2013:i:1:p:119-132
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1286-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Gabriele Giorgi & Jose Leon-Perez & Alicia Arenas, 2015. "Are Bullying Behaviors Tolerated in Some Cultures? Evidence for a Curvilinear Relationship Between Workplace Bullying and Job Satisfaction Among Italian Workers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 227-237, September.
    2. Sharon Sam Mee Kwan & Michelle R Tuckey & Maureen F Dollard, 2020. "The Malaysian Workplace Bullying Index (MWBI): A new measure of workplace bullying in Eastern countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, January.
    3. Jeremy D. Mackey & Jeremy R. Brees & Charn P. McAllister & Michelle L. Zorn & Mark J. Martinko & Paul Harvey, 2018. "Victim and Culprit? The Effects of Entitlement and Felt Accountability on Perceptions of Abusive Supervision and Perpetration of Workplace Bullying," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 659-673, December.
    4. Jeremy D. Mackey & John D. Bishoff & Shanna R. Daniels & Wayne A. Hochwarter & Gerald R. Ferris, 2019. "Incivility’s Relationship with Workplace Outcomes: Enactment as a Boundary Condition in Two Samples," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 513-528, March.
    5. Al-Karim Samnani & Parbudyal Singh, 2016. "Workplace Bullying: Considering the Interaction Between Individual and Work Environment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 537-549, December.

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