CONCEPT ANALYSIS
Workplace cyberbullying exposed: A concept analysis
Martina M. Symons BSN, RN, CCRN,
Hailey Di Carlo RN, BSN,
Meriam Caboral-Stevens PhD, RN, NP-C,
Martina M. Symons BSN, RN, CCRN
School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorHailey Di Carlo RN, BSN
School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Meriam Caboral-Stevens PhD, RN, NP-C
School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Correspondence Meriam Caboral-Stevens, PhD, RN, NP-C, School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, 3
10 Marshall Bldg, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorMartina M. Symons BSN, RN, CCRN,
Hailey Di Carlo RN, BSN,
Meriam Caboral-Stevens PhD, RN, NP-C,
Martina M. Symons BSN, RN, CCRN
School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorHailey Di Carlo RN, BSN
School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Meriam Caboral-Stevens PhD, RN, NP-C
School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Correspondence Meriam Caboral-Stevens, PhD, RN, NP-C, School of Nursing, Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services, 3
10 Marshall Bldg, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Purposes
(1) To understand the concept of workplace cyberbullying, (2) to develop a conceptual definition of workplace cyberbullying, and (3) to examine evidence on workplace cyberbullying in nursing.
Method
Walker and Avant's eight-step approach to concept analysis was used.
Data Source
Fifteen articles were derived from search of five databases using key terms and factored as cyber, bullying, work, place, and combined terms with nursing or harassment.
Findings
Four defining attributes of workplace cyberbullying identified are persistent unwanted act stemming from the work environment, delivered through digital technology, faceless perpetrator, and boundaryless. A new conceptual definition of workplace cyberbullying is developed.
Conclusion
Developing a new conceptual definition of workplace cyberbullying is critical, which may be the starting point to theory and new instrument development to test the operational concepts. More research such as using a hybrid approach to develop the concept of workplace cyberbullying.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.
REFERENCES
- 1Vranjes I, Baillien E, Vandebosch H, Erreyges S, DeWitte H. The dark side of working online: towards a definition and an Emotion Reaction model of workplace cyberbullying. Comput Human Behav. 2017; 69: 324-334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.055
- 2Walker LO, Avant KC. Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing. 6th ed. San Antonio, TX: Pearson; 2019.
- 3 Merriam-Webster. Work. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work Accessed June 16, 2020.
- 4 Merriam-Webster. Place. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/place Accessed June 16, 2020.
- 5 Merriam-Webster. Cyber. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyber Accessed June 16, 2020.
- 6 Merriam-Webster. Bullying. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bullying Accessed June 16, 2020.
- 7 Merriam-Webster. Workplace. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workplace. Accessed February 15, 2020.
- 8 Merriam-Webster. Cyberbullying. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyberbullying Accessed February 15, 2020.
- 9Smith PK, Mahdavi J, Carvalho M, Fisher S, Russell S, Tippett N. Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008; 49(4): 376-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x
- 10Farley S, Coyne I, Axtell C, Sprigg C. Design, development and validation of a workplace cyberbullying measure, the WCM. Work Stress. 2016; 30(4): 293-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2016.1255998
- 11D'Souza N, Forsyth D, Tappin D, Catley B. Conceptualizing workplace cyberbullying: toward a definition for research and practice in nursing. J Nurs Manag. 2018; 26(7): 842-950. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12614
- 12Willard NE. Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenges of Social Online Aggression, Threats and Distress. Champaign, IL: Research Press.
- 13 WomensLaw. Stalking/cyberstalking; 2020. https://www.womenslaw.org/about-abuse/forms-abuse/stalkingcyberstalking. Accessed June 30, 2020.
- 14Woodrow C, Guest DE. When good HR gets bad results: Exploring the challenge of HR implementation in the case of workplace bullying. Human Resource Manag J. 2014; 24(1): 38-56.
- 15 U.S. Department of Labor. OSH Act 1970. Public Law 91-596; 2004. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/oshact/completeoshact. Accessed March 25, 2020.
- 16Mayhem R. Six main functions of Human Resource Department Small Business. Chron; 2019. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/six-main-functions-human-resource-department-60693.html. Accessed April 10, 2020.
- 17Guerin L (2020). Is workplace bullying legal? https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/labor-employment-law/employment-discrimination/workplace-bullying-the-meanest-of-the-mean.html. Accessed March 25, 2020.
- 18 Workplace Bullying Institute. The Healthy Workplace Bill. https://healthyworkplacebill.org/problem/. Accessed March 25, 2020.
- 19Byrne E, Vessey JA, Pfeifer L. Cyberbullying and social media: information and intervention for school nurses working with victims, students and families. J Sch Nursing. 2018; 34(1): 38-50.
- 20Cassidy W, Faucher C, Jackson M. The dark side of Ivory Tower: cyberbullying of university faculty and teaching personnel. Alberta J Educ Res. 2014; 60: 279-299.
- 21Cassidy W, Faucher C, Jackson M. Adversity in university: cyberbullying and its impact on students, faculty, and administrator. Int J Environ Res Pub Health. 2017; 14: 888.
- 22Bambi S, Foa C, De Felippis C, Lucchini A, Guazzini A, Rasero L. Workplace incivility, lateral violence and bullying among nurses: a review about their prevalence and related factors. Acta Biomedica. 2018; 89(suppl 6): 61-79.
- 23Neilsen MB, Einarsen SV. What we know, what we do not know, and what we should and could have known about workplace bullying: an overview of literature and agenda for future research. Aggress Violent Behav. 2018; 42: 71-83.
- 24Schilpzand P, De Pater IE, Erez A. Workplace incivility: a review of the literature and agenda for future research. J Org Behav'. 2016; 37: S57-S88.
- 25 U.S. Legal. Work place harassment law and legal definition. https://definitions.uslegal.com/w/work-place-harassment/#:~:text=Workplace%20harassment%20is%20any%20unwanted,co%2Dworkers%2C%20or%20customers. Accessed June 20, 2020.
- 26Park M, Choi JS. Effects of workplace cyberbullying on nurses' symptom experience and turnover intention. J Nurs Manag. 2019; 27(6): 1108-1115. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12779
- 27Choi J, Park M. Effects of nursing organizational culture on face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying in the workplace. J Clin Nurs. 2019; 28(13-14): 2577-2588. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14843
- 28Privitera C, Campbell MA. Cyberbullying: the new face of workplace bullying? Cyberpsychol Behav. 2009; 12(4): 395-400.
- 29Kowalski RM, Toth A, Morgan M. Bullying and cyberbullying in adulthood and workplace. J Soc Psych. 2018; 158(1): 64-81.
- 30Farley S, Coyne I, Sprigg C, Axtell C, Subramanian G. Exploring the impact of workplace cyberbullying on trainee doctors. Med Educ. 2015; 49(4): 436-443. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12666
- 31Gardner D, O'Driscoll M, Cooper-Thomas H, et al. Predictors of workplace bullying and cyber-bullying in New Zealand. Int J Environ Res Pub Health. 2016; 13: 448.
- 32Muhonen T, Jonsson S, Backstrom M. Consequences of cyberbullying behavior in working life: the mediating roles of social support and social organizational climate. Int J Workplace Health Manag. 2017; 10(5): 376-390.
- 33Ferreira DRSC, Deslandes SF. Cyberbullying concepts, dynamics, characters and health implications. Ciênc saúde colet;. 2018; 23(10): 3369-3379.
- 34Peter I, Petermann F. Cyberbullying: a concept analysis of defining attributes and additional influencing factors. Comput Human Behav. 2018; 86: 350-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.05.013
- 35Li Q, Smith PK, Cross D. Research into cyberbullying: context. In: Q Li, D Cross, PK Smith, eds. Cyberbullying Into the Global Playground: Research From International Perspectives (part I). West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012: 3-12.
10.1002/9781119954484.ch1 Google Scholar
- 36Hollenbaugh EE, Everett MK. The effects of anonymity on self-disclosure in blogs: An application of the online disinhibition effect. J Comput-Mediated Commun. 2013; 18(3): 283-302. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12008
- 37Hinhuja S, Patchin JW. Bullying beyond the schoolyard: preventing and responding to cyberbullying. 2nd ed. Thousand Oak, CA: SAGE Co; 2015.
- 38D'Cruz P. Cyberbullying at work: experiences of Indian employees. In: J Webster, K Randle, eds. Virtual Workers and the Global Labour Market. Dynamics of Virtual Work. London: Palgrave Macmillan; 2020. 239-259.
- 39Forsell RC. Cyberbullying is a boundary blurred working life: distortion of the private and professional life on social media. Emerald Insight. 2019; 15: 89-107.
- 40Forssell R. Exploring cyberbullying and face-to-face bullying in working life—prevalence, targets and expressions. Comput Human Behav. 2016; 58: 454-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.003
- 41Jonsson S, Forssell R, Backstrom M, Muhonen T. Assessing exposure to bullying through digital devices in working life: two versions of a Cyberbullying Questionnaire (CBQ). Psychology. 2017; 8: 477-494. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2017.83030
10.4236/psych.2017.83030 Google Scholar
- 42Ramdeo S, Singh R. Section 3: Cyberbullying in the workplace. In: M Khosrow-Pour, ed. Encyclopedia of Criminal Activities and Deep Web. Hershey, PA: Drug Trafficking, Human Trafficking, and the Sexual Exploitation of Children; 2020: 686-696.
10.4018/978-1-5225-9715-5.ch047 Google Scholar
- 43Baruch Y. Bullying on the net: adverse behavior on e-mail and its impact. Inform Manag. 2005; 42(2): e361-e371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2004.02.001
- 44Samsudin EZ, Isahak M, Rampal S, Rosnah I, Zakariah MI. Organisational antecedents of workplace victimization: the role of organizational climate, culture, leadership, support, and justice in predicting junior doctors' exposure to bullying at work. Int J Health Plann Mgmt. 2020; 35: 346-367.
- 45Dumont C, Meisinger S, Whitacre M, Corbin G. Nursing 2012 horizontal violence survey report. Nursing. 2012; 42(1): 44-49.
- 46Giumetti GW, McKibben ES, Hatfield AL, Schroeder AN, Kowalski RM. Cyber incivility at work: the new age of interpersonal deviance. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2012; 15: 148-154.
- 47Coyne I, Farley S, Axtell C, Sprigg C, Best L, Kwok O. Understanding the relationship between experiencing workplace cyberbullying, employee mental strain and job satisfaction: a dysempowerment approach. Int J Human Resour Manag. 2016; 1:e28.
- 48 Innovative Employee Solution. How HR can intervene in employee cyberbullying; 2016. https://www.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/blog/business/hr-can-intervene-employee-cyberbullying/. Accessed April 10, 2020.
- 49Lim VKG, Teo TSH. Mind you E-manners: impact of cyber incivility on employees' work attitudes and behaviors. Inform Manag. 2009; 46: 419-425.
- 50Rodgers BL, Knafl KA. Concept Development in Nursing: Foundations, Techniques, and Applications. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co; 1999.
