Paper Example on Workplace Bullying: Impact on Temporary Employees

Introduction

Workplace bullying is a rampant issue that affects a significant number of employees in different working environments. Bullying has adverse impacts on the performance health of employees. Numerous work-related factors have been identified as potential causes of workplace bullying. There is a growing trend of bullying among temporary employees. Temporary workers are becoming subject to bullying due to the nature of their job. However, there is scarce research on the bullying of temporary workers who have become victims of bullying. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how bullying affects the performance of temporary workers, how to prevent, and how to eliminate it at the institutional level. The research questions is: What are the employee experiences with bullying at Sports Ware?

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This study will utilize a qualitative case study method to examine the issue of workplace bullying among temporary workers. A qualitative study will be used to approach this new field due to inadequate materials and conceptual frameworks. The participants will exclude human resource managers and supervisors in Sport-Ware Corporation because they have close contact with employees. The sample size will consist of 15 employees from the organization. These participants will be selected based on years worked in the organization. Out of this sample, 8 will be female and 7 males. The research instrument that will be used in the study is an explorative approach due to inadequate materials on the discipline. The data collected will be analyzed using qualitative analysis. Through this analysis, the data collected through qualitative research will be analyzed based on article reviews. In other words, the data will be analyzed based on the previous work on the bullying of employees.

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION

Background

Sport-Ware Corporation BackgroundSport-Ware Corporation is herein used as a pseudonym in lieu to protect the identity of the research participants. The company was founded in 1964 as Blue-Ribbon Sports by Bill Bowerman. Bowerman was serving as a track-field-coach for Oregon University. The first retail store opened in 1966 and afterward assumed the Sport-Ware brand identity in 1972 that is now the company's first brand. It was renamed in 1978 and became public in 1980. The company has expanded itself through acquisitions, taking at least four companies over the years. Currently, the company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon and is investing in sportswear, technologies such as portable heart rate monitors, shoes, clothing, and other apparel. This research focuses on bullying at the Sport-ware Corporation, having been accused of perpetuating the vice in the 21st century.

Workplace bullying is a significant work phenomenon studies since the 20th century. Bullying refers to persistent actions and behaviors directed at an individual with the intent to harm them. It thrives where the power difference is noticeable. The vice affects employees' health and performance. Cases of bullying have been on the rise with the United Kingdom registering an increase in rates high level in 2011, where 60% of people could testify witnessing or being victims of bullying. The United States and Asian countries also have cases of bullied employees (Salazar, 2017). Temporary workers represent a special task force in the changing world economy and job requirements and demands. However, they are inadequately represented and are victims of bullying. This paper performs a literature review after identifying the vice as a problem requiring attention. There is scarce research on temporary workers' bullying. Nursing has a substantial amount of information on this phenomenon. Seminal literature lacks meaningful references or studies on it. The paper structure has five key sections, which are research problem, literature review, research gap, research questions, continuum and methodology, and summary.

Problem Statement

Bullying in the workplace is a major problem for companies big and small today. While the statistics are difficult to trust in light of the underreporting of this kind of bullying, it is clear that the problems are actually quite pervasive. There are different levels of bullying, but some statistics show that as many as three in every four workers suffer from bullying. This is a big problem for businesses that want to ensure that their workers are happy and that they are safe. Specifically, it is a problem for companies because it drains productivity and causes workers to be more likely to leave their positions. Businesses are looking to create the best possible working environment for all of their employees, and when bullying takes place, it causes conflict, a lack of productivity, and damage to the company’s reputation, as well. Anecdotal information reveal that Sport-Ware is subject to workplace bullying. The concept of workplace bullying has evolved. Therefore, a study on bullying, its effects on the performance and productivity of temporary employees and approaches to eliminate bullying in workplaces is vital in improving workforce performance especially among temporary employees.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examine the quality of life of the temporary employees, and their performance and productivity in connection to workplace bullying. The study evaluates different perspectives in hinting on how bullying affects the performance of temporary workers and quality of work. The study also digs into the approaches that can be deployed in prevention of workplace bullying along with elimination at the institutional level.

• Research Question(s)What is your quality of life and productivity on the job?
• How does bullying affects the performance of temporary workers?

Nature of the StudyThe study will employ a case study of Sport-Ware Corporation in highlighting the experiences of temporary workers with regards to workplace bullying, underlying factors that contribute to bullying and the effect to productivity. The study will obtain data from personal experiences and contributions of the supervisors on experiences of workp[lace bullying among temporary workers.

Significance of the StudyThe prevalence of workplace bullying necessitates its research and development of the existing body of knowledge. The changing work dynamics requiring the hiring of temporary workers expose this class of workers to bullying cases. They are often underrepresented or not covered by company policies and labor laws, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation and bullying. The existence of global bullying events, both in developed and developing economies, reveals a trend that is yet to leave the system. Increased awareness will help to show how temporary workers are affected by bullying given their integral role in the growth of an economy. Their benefit in filling up employee shortage or working at lower wages and shorter periods for a company undergoing an economic crisis makes the theme a vital group for economic growth. The health and working morale of this group need advocacy and well representation in legal, institutions, and policy frameworks. The study seeks to identify a gap in bullying of temporary workers and develop recommendations for the improvement of their condition. The review is essential to business management. The turnover and effectiveness of the workers have a direct impact on the organization's productivity. Following this, there is a need for extensive research to determine how bullying affects their performance and how to avoid, respond to, or eradicated at the institutional level therefore boosting the performance of the organization.

Definition of Key TermsBullying, Temps, Workplace, Social dominance Theory, Negative Dominance Theory

SummaryBullying at workplace is common across different organizations especially among temporary workers. The productivity of organizations is based on the contribution of the temporary workers and therefore a research in approaches to improve their performance is vital. Defining prevention strategies can boost the elimination of workplace bullying. The study aims at highlighting the quality of life of the temporary workers and performance in relation to bullying experienced. Study questions point at the underlying factors which will be evaluated through based on experiences of temporary workers at Sport-Ware Corporation.

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

Bullying in the WorkplaceWorkplace bullying describes the systematic and repeated personal mistreatment of employees by the superior or subordinate colleagues. The victim of workplace bulling may face deliberate derogatory acts repeatedly and eventually develop a perception that the work environment is oppressive. Workplace bullying is normally associated with negative outcomes like reduced productivity, high absenteeism, increased rates of employee turnover, poor job performance, and reduced self-confidence among victim employees.

Heinz Leymann first introduced it in the 1980s while working on the nature of the work environment and its effects on employee’s performance (McDonald, Brown & Smith, 2015). Other contributors, such as Drs. Gary and Ruth Namie extended the study and coined the definition of workplace bullying. Their definition identifies workplace bullying as repeated acts of mistreatment directed against an individual by one or a group of employees (McDonald, Brown & Smith, 2015). The definition includes the aspect of power distance or difference whereby the bully always perc...