Title: Workplace bullying: a neglected and overlooked phenomenon in the corporate cultures of Bangladesh

Authors: Ishrat Sultana; Rezwana Sultana

Addresses: School of Business & Economics, United International University, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh ' School of Business & Economics, United International University, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh

Abstract: This paper critically examines the workplace bullying scenario in Bangladesh by focusing on the individual experiences of employees working in various corporate jobs. The study employs qualitative methodology to analyse data collected from 27 individuals working in various private organisations in Bangladesh. The data were collected through email interviews and follow-up discussions. Findings indicate that, employees are increasingly falling victims of workplace bullying due to poor organisation culture, inefficient leadership, misuse of power and reluctance of management. Moreover, prolonged history of bullying may result in severe psychological effects, such as, anxiety, depression, stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well as affect employee's productivity, effectiveness, creativity and physical health. Based on the findings, the paper recommends policies and procedures to minimise the effect of workplace bullying. As this issue is still under-researched in Bangladesh, the study makes an empirical contribution to the literature on workplace bullying.

Keywords: workplace bullying; Bangladesh; individual experiences; employee experiences; private organisations; bullying victims; bullying causes; organisational culture; leadership; psychological effects; anxiety; depression; stress; productivity; physical health; policies; procedure; corporate culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMP.2017.084940

International Journal of Management Practice, 2017 Vol.10 No.3, pp.254 - 272

Received: 28 Apr 2016
Accepted: 13 Sep 2016
Published online: 09 Jul 2017 *

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