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Making Sense of Cyberbullying: Stories of Men and Women at Work

Author

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  • Arosha S. Adikaram
  • R. M. Dushmanthi K. Ratnayake

Abstract

This article explores how women and men appraise and interpret their experiences of cyberbullying at work and how they respond to such behaviours within a gendered cultural space, using the theory of sensemaking. Within the interpretive research paradigm, data was collected through in-depth, in-person interviews from 10 male and 25 female employees who had experienced cyberbullying. The findings indicated the similar and different ways that sense was made by men and women employees about their cyberbullying experiences. While making sense of cyberbullying experiences has been a very social endeavour for women, it has been a relatively private and individual process for men. Further, women had been more assertive and had relentlessly attempted to clear their image and regain their fractured identities as respectable women, while men mainly had been passive in trying to protect their fractured identities as good performers. Further, gender role stereotypes and gender scripts appeared to have influenced the sensemaking process and the participants’ reactions. This article contributes to the limited literature on cyberbullying at work and develops existing understandings of how men and women understand and react to cyberbullying experiences in a gendered cultural context.

Suggested Citation

  • Arosha S. Adikaram & R. M. Dushmanthi K. Ratnayake, 2024. "Making Sense of Cyberbullying: Stories of Men and Women at Work," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 49(4), pages 568-589, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:manlab:v:49:y:2024:i:4:p:568-589
    DOI: 10.1177/0258042X241237040
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Florence Allard-Poesi, 2005. "The Paradox of Sensemaking in Organizational Analysis," Post-Print hal-01251211, HAL.
    2. Dianne Gardner & Michael O’Driscoll & Helena D. Cooper-Thomas & Maree Roche & Tim Bentley & Bevan Catley & Stephen T. T. Teo & Linda Trenberth, 2016. "Predictors of Workplace Bullying and Cyber-Bullying in New Zealand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, April.
    3. Karl E. Weick & Kathleen M. Sutcliffe & David Obstfeld, 2005. "Organizing and the Process of Sensemaking," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(4), pages 409-421, August.
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