Workplace Bullying in a Private Corporation

This chapter examines workplace bullying at a privately owned motel under the labor process theory lens to provide understandings on how bullying can be depersonalized, with control processes embedded within the technological, structural, cultural, and communication modalities used by the management. The empirical data reveals that employees were subjected to continuous monitoring via cameras, their work was checked on a one-to-one basis, managerial expectations were communicated at daily meetings, and employee cooperation was sought through social events and celebrations of festivals and personal events at the work site. The management referred to their employees as unskilled, easily replaceable, lacking in education, with low class mentality. The employees were aware of the control being exercised, hurt by the behavior of the management, but reconciled and docile because it could either result in being written up, job loss and termination. The bullying at the motel, was depersonalized, oppressive but not totalitarian in nature.