Previous and current research has indicated that bullying is a form of purposeful humiliation, which contributes to depression adversely impacting the employee's ability to function in the workplace. A link has been established between workplace bullying and symptoms of depression for some occupations, but there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding the relationship between workplace bullying and symptoms of depression within middle managers in healthcare. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between workplace bullying and symptoms of depression in the middle management level employee. The theoretical frameworks for this dissertation were self-efficacy behavior and Beck's cognitive theory of depression. The extent of workplace bullying was measured in 111 middle management level employees from a healthcare organization and a Walden University participant pool using the Negative Acts Questionnaire. Symptoms that contribute to depression were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory II. The data collected were statistically analyzed using frequency analysis, chi-square goodness of fit test, comparison of means, and regression analyses. Thirty-four percent of the respondents reported being bullied. The group reporting being bullied had higher Beck Depression Inventory II scores than their nonbullied peers. Findings from this study contribute to future research on workplace bullying, implementation of mandatory leadership training on workplace bullying, and the development of programs that provide support for targets of bullying. Social change implications include increased understanding of the links between bullying in the workplace, mental health in middle management level employees, and expansion of Employee Assistance Programs, which contribute to a bully-free workplace culture.
展开▼
