Third-party interventions in workplace bullying: a neoliberal agenda?

Date01 April 2019
Published date01 April 2019
Pages506-519
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/ER-09-2017-0216
AuthorHazel Mawdsley,Alison Thirlwall
Subject MatterHR & organizational behaviour,Industrial/labour relations,Employment law
Third-party interventions in
workplace bullying:
a neoliberal agenda?
Hazel Mawdsley
Business School, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, Wales, and
Alison Thirlwall
Faculty of Business, University of Wollongong in Dubai,
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Purpose Bullying is a persistent, damaging feature of neoliberal workplaces, despite the increased use of
third-partyinterventions (TPIs).The purpose of this paper is to investigatehow TPIs relate to individualisation
of the employment contract, whether TPIsdeflect attention away from bullying and the impact for targets.
Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from focus groups and interviews with members
and officials of three large UK trade unions.
Findings TPIs individualise bullying allegations and such interventions are further characterised by
impotence,injustice and lack of impartiality,serving to deflect bullyingclaims and exacerbatetargetssuffering.
Practical implications Recommendations are made to improve the efficacy of interventions.
Originality/value This paper increases the limited research into the efficacy of TPIs and makes a
significant contribution to debates on neoliberal individualism.
Keywords Mediation, Intervention, Workplace bullying, Individualism, Counselling, Peer listeners
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Bullying is a global workplace problem (Zapf et al., 2011) associated with severe detriment to
perceived targets and reduced productivity (Hoel et al., 2011). Despite potentially adverse
consequences, it is frequently reported that employers fail to take appropriate action
(Fevre et al., 2011; ODriscoll et al., 2010) and actively avoid the problem (Thirlwall, 2015),
exacerbating the harmful effects. Some European countries, for example, Sweden and
France, have introduced legislation specifically to address workplace bullying, albeit with
mixed results (Yamada, 2011). Except for two Canadian provinces (Yamada, 2011), similar
laws have not been enacted in neoliberal economies because minimal state intervention is
preferred. In the UK and the USA, there is reliance on a general framework of individual
statutory employment rights for protection from harassment (Yamada, 2011), and emphasis
on resolving workplace conflict through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) rather than
legal recourse (ACAS, 2010; Fox and Stallworth, 2004). Employees are encouraged to air
concerns through voluntary organisational procedures, yet, despite a proliferation of
Dignity at Work policies and ADR processes, outcomes for targets have not improved
(Fevre et al., 2012; Fox and Stallworth, 2004). The absence of collective dispute resolution
may result in managers giving unconstructive responses to bullying, such as by ignoring
problems and using authoritarianism (Barmes, 2016), with negative consequences for all
parties (Fevre et al., 2012).
Traditional organisational anti-bullying policies have increasingly been supplemented
with third-party interventions (TPIs). TPIs may be provided by mediators, counsellors or
peer listeners, each fulfilling different functions. In the UK, a facilitative form of mediation is
favoured, which engages the disputing parties in problem-solving to move toward a
settlement (Banks and Saundry, 2013). Counsellors provide cognitive therapy to perceived
Employee Relations: The
International Journal
Vol. 41 No. 3, 2019
pp. 506-519
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-09-2017-0216
Received 10 September 2017
Revised 27 March 2018
31 July 2018
Accepted 31 July 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
506
ER
41,3

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT