Stress and Managerial bullying: Affective antecedents and consequences

Abstract

Change has become endemic in organisations. While the rhetoric of change includes the need to be more globally competitive and to meet changing market requirements, the reality for many people is often increasing levels of stress. In this paper, we argue that one of the by-products of stress is the propensity for some managers to use bullying tactics to achieve their goals. Such a process results in costs not only to the manager and his or her employees, but also to the organisation. Studies on workplace bullying suggest that it is managers in organisations who are the main perpetrators of workplace bullying. This article argues that one of the reasons for managers acting in this way is that they do not have the appropriate emotional skills or abilities to deal with the demands of an ever-changing workplace. Viewing the problem of workplace bullying from a bounded emotionality perspective, we provide a new insight to the antecedents of workplace bullying.