Mobbing: The perception and experience of employees

Abstract

Mobbing is a form of violence that exposes people to offensive and humiliating situations. This study sought to understand the experiences with workplace mobbing of 6 (six) workers. The research tool used was a semi-structured survey with six guiding questions: characterization of the mobbing they experienced, the onset and duration of the bullying, perceptions from colleagues, reaction to the mobbing, profile of the mobbing, work environment in the organization. The data was analyzed following the Discursive Textual Analysis. Based on the interviewee’s accounts, we can infer that they have experienced workplace bullying in the context of organizational harassment. We find evidence of psychological trauma, physical sickness, low motivation, insecurity, and family problems. This study can contribute to the literature in providing a basis for re-thinking organizational management practices, organizational values, as well as a better understanding of the workers’ rights who experience mobbing in the workplace.

Key words: mobbing, violence at work, workers.