Barbaric Bullies, Tormented Targets, and Muddled Managers: An Expectancy Violations Theory Framework for Predicting Managerial Intervention to Alleviate Workplace Bullying

Abstract

Bullying is a prevalent workplace problem that has received relatively little research attention addressing managerial intervention. We developed a framework and propositions based on the bullying literature and expectancy violations theory (EVT) for understanding managerial interventions aimed at ameliorating workplace bullying. The target’s emotional responses to bullying, target’s profile type, bully’s profile type, and manager’s perceptions of the bully’s organizational value are considered as predictors of violations of the manager’s expectations and intensity of managerial intervention. EVT provides a framework for understanding the components of workplace bullying relationships. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Keywords:

• Emotional response
• Expectancy violations theory
• High-value bully
• managerial intervention
• workplace bullying

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author Note

This research is based on the first author’s master’s thesis. The second author served as thesis advisor and the third author served as a thesis committee member.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kylie Julius

Kylie Julius is a lecturer of Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Joan R. Rentsch

Joan R. Rentsch is a professor of Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Quinten S. Bernhold

Quinten S. Bernhold is an assistant professor of Communication Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.