An Empirical Study of Unethical Leadership and Workplace Bullying in Industry Segments

摘要

While schoolyard bullying has received so much attention that 15 states have initiated or passed laws addressing it, workplace bullying has received relatively little attention and no regulation or legislation. Building on research that does address leadership and bullying, this study examined potential correlations between unethical leadership and bullying. Data was gathered from 220 people surveyed in various industry segments plus the academic community. Results supported the hypothesis to some degree. All industry segments had strong correlations between ethical leadership and bullying even though the strength of their perceived ethical values varied relative to each other. Analysis revealed a strong correlation between ethical leadership and reduced bullying within the higher-education, tenured segment.