Research Publish Journals, International Journal of .....

, ISSN: XXXX-XXXX
Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com

STATUS OF WORKPLACE BULLYING

AMONG NURSE-EDUCATORS IN
CABANATUAN CITY
1

Nicanor M. Domingo III, MAN, RN

2
Krystel D. Legaspi, MAN, RN

1,2

Assistant Professor, College of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences,

Wesleyan University-Philippines, Cabanatuan City, Philippines 3100

Abstract: Bullying has damaging effects on both workers and organizations. Physical, emotional and social
effects are in the facade. This study utilized the total enumeration technique, using all 49 nurse educators from three
selected Colleges of Nursing (CON) in Cabanatuan City. This paper dealt with workplace bullying risk factors in various
forms that respondents experienced in their work.
Findings indicated that majority of the respondents experienced workplace bullying.
It was revealed further
that the bullies can be found usually at the same level of the organization and respondents used to refer the bullies to their
friends. Moreover, the respondents agreed that risk factors in terms of organizational change, negative leadership style,
lack of appropriate work system, poor workplace culture and relationships, and workplace characteristics existed in the
different CONs in Cabanatuan City. In addition, nurse educators from one school agreed that bullying exists in terms of
social, psychological, physical and emotional forms which were not agreed by respondents from other two schools. As to
the relationship among the variables, significant relationship existed between workplace bullying risk factors and its
forms, respondents' socio-demographic profile (SDP) and workplace bullying risk factors, and SDP and forms of
workplace bullying. Finally, significant difference in the presence of workplace bullying risk factors in the different CON
in Cabanatuan City was also revealed.
Keywords: Workplace bullying, Cabanatuan, nurse-educators, bullies

I. INTRODUCTION
Bullying in the workplace entails a continuous contact to harsh, obnoxious or malicious manner or behavior by a
supervisor or co-worker. Workplace bullying is different from an in-civil treatment for the primer is a continuous
persistent behavior made by ones co-employees or supervisor/manager.[1] Some explained that experiences bullying is the
same as losing a loved one due to an unexpected death.[2]
With the rising of the need to address the problem relating to workplace bullying in the different parts of the
globe including the Philippines, this paper aimed to determine the risk factors and effects of bullying among nurseeducators in the city of Cabanatuan.
As this behavior increases annually, ratifying policies that may perhaps, alleviate workplace bullying which has
produced intolerable damage among its targets is promulgated. Workplace bullying produces traumatic effects and
experiences among its target, some of which include depression, anxiety, and symptoms associated with Post traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). The by-products experienced by targets are manifestations that the society must take full notice
of. Of the key recommendations offered, policy-creation or ratification can be the remedy. Future researches could also
pay significant dividends to an already ever increasing state of knowledge. Relatively, the information about the causes
and consequences of workplace bullying should be expanded from a theoretical and empirical information perspective. [3]
Future interventions must look to end workplace bullying. Workplace bullying is a serious matter not only to the
organization, but to the victims themselves. These workers may feel series of emotional burdens such as aggravation,
anger and feeling of helplessness which can yield to a feeling of worthlessness. Physiological effects also occur which
may include inability to sleep, persistent headaches and anorexia. Accordingly, when the bullying continues in the
organization, workers may commit low morale and absenteeism leading to a poor performance.

Research Publish Journals, International Journal of ..... , ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
According to the cognitive theory of trauma, workplace bullying is traumatic for targets as stress from posttraumatic experiences after victimization lead to the devastation of self-worth that victims hold about themselves, other
people and the world.[4,5] In the Philippine setting, workers also experience bullying. Nurses, as part of the healthcare team
are prone to workplace bullying, believing that the situation is a component of an organizational culture. Physical assault
and verbal abuse were linked with general health status and work-related health problems among Filipino nurses. [6]

II. METHODS
A. Respondents
Total enumeration was employed. We utilized 49 nurse-educators from the selected Colleges of Nursing in
Cabanatuan City. There were 24 respondents from School A, 21 from School B and 4 from School C. Coding was used to
maintain anonymity and confidentiality of respondents.
B. Sampling Procedure
The researchers used the total enumeration technique, thus, all the members of the population were included as
her respondents. Both academic and clinical instructors were included.

C. Research Instrument
The questionnaire was used as the research tool. The tool adapted the Australian Government Comcare: Bullying
Risk Factor Checklist (2010). The workplace bullying risk factors, as well as its forms were ascertained in terms of the
following: 4-stongly agree, 3-agree, 2-disagree and 1-strongly disagree. The reliability of the questionnaire was
established by a pre-test and post-test using a total of 10 nurse educators from Good Samaritan Colleges as respondents
with reliability coefficient of 0.81.

III. RESULTS
A. Socio-demographic profile
Majority of the respondents, 21 or 42.86% were 32-40 years old, 31 or 63.30% were female, married, 33 or
67.30%, were Roman Catholic, 43 or 87.80%, were of Tagalog ethnicity, 42 or 85.70%, already had a Master of Arts in
Nursing degree, 24 or 48.98%, had a basic monthly salary of P 15,001 to 20,000 and had 4 to 6 years of service in their
respective institutions.
B. Incidence of respondents workplace bullying experiences in the Past Twelve Months
Table 1 presents the incidence of respondents' workplace bullying experiences during the last twelve months,
sources of bullies and referring person of the victims of workplace bullying in the Colleges of Nursing. It revealed that 25
or 51.02%, of the respondents experienced workplace bullying often (3-5 experiences)" while only 7 or 14.29% never for
the concerned time frame.
C. Sources of Bullies in different levels of management
There are 37 or 75.51% who identified that the bullies were usually from same level in the organization. On the
other hand, only 1 or 2.05 of the respondents identified lower level of the organization as the source of bullying.
D. Referring person of the victims of workplace bullying
Most of the respondents used to refer the incidence of bullying to their friends 51.02%. It revealed further that
only 2 or 4.08% of the respondents reported the incident to their deans.

Research Publish Journals, International Journal of ..... , ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Table 1. Incidence, sources, and referring persons of workplace bullying
Incidence of Workplace Bullying

Frequency

Always (More than 5 Experiences)

10.20

Often (3-5 experiences)

25

51.02

Seldom (1-2 experiences)

12

24.49

Never (no experience)

14.29

Lower Level in the Organization

2.05

At the Same Level in the Organization

37

75.51

Both Lower and Same Level in the Organization

4.08

Upper Level in the Organization

18.37

Dean

4.08

Coordinator

8.13

Friends

25

51.02

Family Members

10.20

No One

13

26.53

Sources of Bullies

Referring Persons

n=49
E. Organizational change and negative Leadership Styles
Organizational change (WM = 3.15) had a verbal interpretation of Agree. This implied that respondents found
changes in the organization to be a significant risk factor that could cause workplace bullying. The description of the
respondents on the presence of workplace bullying risk factors in terms of negative leadership styles got an average
weighted mean of 2.60 and a verbal interpretation as Agree. This implied that respondents found negative
leadership style to be a significant risk factor that could cause a workplace bullying if left unresolved.

F. Presence of workplace bullying risk factors: lack of appropriate work systems, workplace culture and
relationships and workforce characteristics

The description has an average weighted mean of 2.68 and a verbal interpretation of Agree. This implied that
respondents found lack of appropriate work systems to be a significant risk factor that could cause workplace
bullying in any organization. Workplace bullying risk factors in terms of poor workplace culture and relationships got
an average weighted mean of 2.67 and a verbal interpretation of Agree. This further implied that respondents found
poor workplace culture and relationships to be a significant risk factor that could cause a workplace bullying.
Workforce characteristics got an average weighted mean of 2.55 and a verbal interpretation of Agree, as the
workforce characteristics to be a significant risk factor that could cause a workplace bullying.

G. Social Forms

Research Publish Journals, International Journal of ..... , ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Nurse educators from School A "Disagreed" that the identified items were existing in their department as
manifested by average weighted means of 2.00. On the other hand, Schools B and C, "Agreed" in general that the
items mentioned on the table were existing in their college. Conclusively, School A had the least dilemma when it
comes to social form of workplace bullying.

H. Psychological forms
Respondents from Schools A and C "Disagree" that the identified items were existing in their department as
manifested by averaged weighted means of 2.00 and 2.30, respectively. On the other hand, School B "Agree" in
general that the items mentioned on the table were existing in their college. School B had the greatest dilemma when
it comes to psychological form of workplace bullying.

I. Physical forms
Schools A and C "Disagree" that the identified items were existing in their department as manifested by averaged
weighted means of 1.80 and 2.30, respectively. On the other hand, School B "Agree" in general that the items
mentioned on the table were existing in their college. It is also the School B that had the greatest dilemma when it
comes to physical form of workplace bullying.

J. Emotional forms
Schools A and C "Disagree" that the identified items were existing in their department as manifested by averaged
weighted means of 1.90 and 2.20, respectively. On the other hand, School B "Agree" in general that the items
mentioned on the table were existing in their college.

K. Significant relationship between respondents profile and their description of the presence of workplace bullying
risk factors
Among the six identified socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, only the variable school where
the respondents are employed was found to be significant with three workplace bullying risk factors which include the
following: negative leadership style (r=.464); lack of appropriate work systems (r=.414); and workplace culture and
relationships (r=.372). The positive relationship indicated that the presence of workplace bullying was influenced by the
type of school where the respondents were employed.
Table 2. Socio-demographic profile of the respondents and their description of the presence of workplace bullying risk
factors
Workplace bullying risk factors
sociodemographic
profile
Age
School
Gender
Civil status
monthly salary
Length of service

organizational
change
.013
.222
.145
.000
.078
-.055

negative leadership
style
-.131
.464(**)
-.076
.005
-.030
-.271

lack of appropriate
work systems
-.148
.414(**)
-.058
-.011
.030
-.251

poor workplace
culture and
relationships
.019
.372(**)
.038
-.037
.136
-.096

workforce
characteristics
-.104
.278
-.074
-.110
-.026
-.133

Research Publish Journals, International Journal of ..... , ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
** Correlation is highly significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Correlations
Correlations
L. Relationship between the socio-demographic profile of the respondents and the incidence of their workplace
bullying experiences in the past twelve months
The correlation analysis performed between the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and their
incidence of bullying experience for the last twelve months yielded no significant relationships.
Table 3. Relationship between the socio-demographic profile of the respondents and the incidence of their workplace
bullying experiences in the past twelve months
Socio-demographic profile

Incidence of bullying experience

Age

-.016

School

.016

Gender

-.087

Civil status

-.237

Monthly salary

.126

Length of service

.015

M. Relationship between the socio-demographic profile of the respondents and the forms of workplace bullying
they experienced
The correlation value obtained between school and forms of bullying experienced by the respondents (r=.364)
revealed that significant relationship existed between the school where the respondents teach and the various forms of
bullying they experienced. Hypothetically, school or college of nursing where nurse educators were working affects the
forms of workplace bullying.
Table 4. Relationship between the socio-demographic profile and forms of bullying
Socio-demographic profile

Forms of bullying (Pearson r)

Age

-.140

School

.364*

Gender

-.169

Civil status

-.129

Monthly salary

.002

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

N. Relationship between workplace bullying risk factors and the incidence of respondents' workplace bullying
experiences in the past twelve months
No significant relationship was established between incidence of bullying experiences of the respondents and
workplace bullying risk factors in their respective school.
Table 5. Relationship between workplace bullying risk factors and the incidence of respondents' workplace bullying
experiences in the past twelve months
Workplace bullying risk factors

Incidence of bullying experience

Research Publish Journals, International Journal of ..... , ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com

Organizational Change

-.016

Lack of Appropriate Work Systems

.013

Negative Leadership Style

-.048

Poor Workplace Culture and Relationships

.050

Workforce Characteristics

.042

O. Relationship between workplace bullying risk factors and the forms of bullying experienced by the respondents
The correlation analysis for the significant relationship between the respondents workplace bullying risk factors
and the forms of bullying they experienced in the respective schools revealed a positive significant relationship, to wit:
organizational change and social form of bullying (r=.485); organizational change and psychological form of bullying
(r=.433); organizational change and physical form of bullying (r=.340); organizational change and emotional form of
bullying (r=.392); negative leadership style and social form of bullying (r=.778); negative leadership style and
psychological form of bullying (r=.788); negative leadership style and physical form of bullying (r=.742); negative
leadership style and emotional form of bullying (r=.772); lack of appropriate work system and social form of bullying
(r=.764); lack of appropriate work system and psychological form of bullying (r=.782); lack of appropriate system and
emotional form of bullying (r=.760); poor workplace culture and relationships and social form of bullying (r=.814); poor
workplace culture and relationships and psychological form of bullying (r=.762); poor workplace culture and relationships
and physical form of bullying (r=.725); poor workplace culture and relationships and emotional form of bullying (r=.778);
workforce characteristics and social form of bullying (r=.887); workforce characteristics and psychological form of
bullying (r=.892); workforce characteristics and physical form of bullying; and workforce characteristics and emotional
form of bullying (r=.870). It was seen that the presence of the identified risk factors in the colleges of nursing could
manifest later in the organization as any forms of bullying.
Table 7. Relationship between workplace bullying risk factors and forms of bullying experiences
Bullying Risk Factors

Social

Psychological

Organizational Change
.485(**)
Negative Leadership Style
.778(**)
Lack of Appropriate Work
.764(**)
Systems
Poor Workplace Culture and
.814(**)
Relationships
Workforce Characteristics
.887(**)
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

Physical

Emotional

.433(**)
.788(**)

.340(*)
.742(**)

.392(**)
.772(**)

.782(**)

.736(**)

.760(**)

.762(**)

.725(**)

.778(**)

.892(**)

.856(**)

.870(**)

P. Differences in the presence of workplace bullying risk factors

We used ANOVA to test the significant differences that existed among the schools for three bullying risk factors.
Results were: negative leadership style (F-value=7.471), lack of appropriate work systems (F-value=7.480) and poor
workplace culture and relationships (F-value=6.124). The hypothesis of no significant difference for these variables
was rejected at .05 level.
Table 8. ANOVA for differences in the presence of workplace bullying risk factors by school
bullying risk factors
school
Organizational Change

Sum of
Squares

Df

Mean Square

Sig.

1.089

.544

1.256

.294

Research Publish Journals, International Journal of ..... , ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com

Negative Leadership Style

6.160

3.080

7.471

.002

Lack of Appropriate Work Systems

7.250

3.625

7.480

.002

Poor Workplace Culture and

Relationships

6.703

3.352

6.124

.004

Workforce Characteristics

3.894

1.947

2.921

.064

Table 9. Comparison of means of the bullying risk factors by school

school

School A

Mean

workforce
characteristics

2.8575

2.7850

2.6675

SD

.10000

.17951

.76452

.78377

.75817

Mean

3.2095

3.0138

3.0881

3.0681

2.8495

21

21

21

21

21

SD

.64024

.63780

.63585

.57679

.80281

Mean

3.0250

2.3213

2.2913

2.2979

2.2646

24

24

24

24

24

SD

.71338

.68303

.73585

.85158

.83530

Mean

3.1469

2.6822

2.6790

2.6678

2.5482

49

49

49

49

49

.66178

.72345

.78454

.81496

.84849

Total

poor workplace
culture and
relationships

3.1075

School C

lack of
appropriate work
systems

negative
leadership style

3.5500

School B

organizational
change

N
SD

IV. DISCUSSION
Workplace bullying is present in all levels of organization. Organizational structure and culture are biased for all
employees.[7] More than half of nurse-educators experienced workplace bullying as we conducted the study in the existing
colleges of Nursing in Cabanatuan. The bullies were usually from the same level of organization. Nurse-educators
affirmed that organizational change is a significant risk factor that could cause workplace bullying; under these were
negative leadership styles, lack of appropriate work systems poor workplace culture and relationships, and workforce
characteristics. Psychological, emotional and physical forms of bullying were present in School B. Feeling of pressure,
irritation and harassment, emotional abuse, and psychological harassment are concepts related to workplace bullying. [8]
The effects of working conditions can be related to organizational work and social aspects. One study revealed that
bullying and violence from colleagues was reported to promote absenteeism among nurses.[6]
Among the six identified socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, only the variable school where
the respondents were employed was found to be significant with three workplace bullying risk factors which were
negative leadership style, lack of appropriate work systems, and workplace culture and relationships. The correlation
analysis performed between the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and their incidence of bullying
experience for the last twelve months yielded no significant relationships. The correlation value obtained between school
and forms of bullying experienced by the respondents (r=.364) revealed that significant relationship existed between the
school where the respondents teach and the various forms of bullying they experienced.

Research Publish Journals, International Journal of ..... , ISSN: XXXX-XXXX

Vol. 1, Issue 9, pp: (1-4), Month-2013, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Results of the correlation test revealed that highly significant relationship was established between forms of
bullying and organizational change, negative leadership style, lack of appropriate work systems, poor workplace culture
and relationships, and workforce characteristics.
It was found out that significant differences existed among the schools for three bullying risk factors which were
negative leadership style, lack of appropriate work systems, and poor workplace culture and relationships.

V. CONCLUSIONS
Majority of the respondents were 32-40 years old group, female, married, and already had masters education.
They served 4 to 6 years of service in their respective schools. There was high incidence of workplace bullying and it
existed among peers; they were comfortable in telling their experiences to their friends. School B had the greatest
dilemma when it comes to forms of bullying. The presence of workplace bullying was influenced by the type of school
where the respondents were employed. Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents did not affect their incidence
of bullying experience. The school or college of nursing where they teach affects the forms of workplace bullying. It
revealed that workplace bullying risk factors did not affect the incidence of bullying experiences of the respondents. The
presence of the identified risk factors in the colleges of nursing could manifest later on in the organization as any form of
bullying. Hence, the schools were different when it comes to three bullying risk factors which were negative leadership
style, lack of appropriate work systems, and poor workplace culture and relationships.

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]

S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf & C.L. Cooper, The concept of bullying at work, In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D Zapf & C. L.
Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace: International perspectives in research and practice, (pp.
3-30). London: Taylor & Francis. [2003]
E.G. Mikkelsen, & S. Einarsen, S. Basic assumptions and symptoms of post-traumatic stress among victims of bullying at
work, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 11, 87-111. [2002]
D. Zapf, & S. Einarsen Bullying in the workplace: Recent trends in research and practice-an introduction, European Journal
of Work and Organizational Psychology, 10(4), 369-373 [2001]
Janoff-Bulman, R. Shattered assumptions: Towards a new psychology of trauma, New York, NY: 1992 Free Press.
Janoff-Bulman, R. Assumptive worlds and the stress of traumatic events: Applications of the schema construct, Social
Cognition, 7, 1989 113-136
Fujishiro K, Gee GC, de Castro AB. Associations of workplace aggression with work-related well-being
among nurses
in the Philippines. Am J Public Health. 2011;101:861867. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.188144. [PMC free article]
[PubMed] [Cross Ref]
Ironside M., Seifert R. Tackling Bullying in the Workplace: The Collective Dimension. In: Einarsen H.,
Hoel
H.,
Cooper C., editors. Bullying and Emotional Abuse in the Workplace: International Perspectives in Research and Practice.
Routledge; New York, NY, USA: 2003. pp. 383398. [Ref list]
LaVan H., Katz M., Jedel M.J. The public sector manager as a bully: Analysis of litigated cases. J. Bus. Behav. Sci.
2011;23:96119. [Ref list]