Workplace bullying among higher education faculty: A review of the theoretical and empirical literature

Abstract

This review of the theoretical and empirical literature on workplace bullying and mobbing in higher education provides a synthesis of knowledge on this topic. The theoretical origins of the concepts are identified and current empirical evidence on prevalence, characteristics of the target, duration, causes, effects and responses to abusive conduct among faculty are summarized. Evidence suggests that higher education workplaces are particularly vulnerable to workplace abuse due to their institutional structures and organizational cultures. Gaps in our knowledge base on this topic are identified and areas of future research are described.