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Workplace Bullying and Harassment as Group Dynamic Processes: A Multilevel Approach

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Concepts, Approaches and Methods

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment ((HWBEAH,volume 1))

Abstract

This chapter introduces a multilevel approach as the starting point for investigating workplace bullying and harassment as a multicausal phenomenon in which employees are nested in work groups, which may be further nested in larger groups such as departments, organizations or societies. We provide both (a) insights about theories of group dynamics that can help the reader to understand what has been done, and points for the future to move the field forward, and (b) some basic steps for developing multilevel models anchored in robust theoretical arguments. As we focus on group level processes and factors that shape individuals’ attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of workplace bullying and harassment, this chapter proposes that researchers may use multilevel models to investigate features of teams or groups that they theoretically expect to explain the reports of bullying and harassment at work. Overall, this chapter represents a juncture between theoretical explanations about intergroup or intragroup processes and its methodological tools. We conclude this chapter with some insights about the practical implications of adopting multilevel models in workplace bullying and harassment prevention and intervention.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Psychology, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

    Jose M. León-Pérez

  2. Department of Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioural Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Paula Ruiz-Zorrilla & Mirko Antino

  3. Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Guy Notelaers

  4. Research Centre for Work and Organization Studies, KU Leuven, Brussels, Belgium

    Elfi Baillien

  5. Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Escartín

Authors
  1. Jose M. León-Pérez
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  2. Paula Ruiz-Zorrilla
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  3. Guy Notelaers
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  4. Elfi Baillien
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  5. Jordi Escartín
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  6. Mirko Antino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jose M. León-Pérez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Organizational Behaviour Area, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, India

    Premilla D'Cruz

  2. Organizational Behaviour Area, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, India

    Ernesto Noronha

  3. Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Guy Notelaers

  4. Portsmouth Business School, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

    Charlotte Rayner

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León-Pérez, J.M., Ruiz-Zorrilla, P., Notelaers, G., Baillien, E., Escartín, J., Antino, M. (2021). Workplace Bullying and Harassment as Group Dynamic Processes: A Multilevel Approach. In: D'Cruz, P., Noronha, E., Notelaers, G., Rayner, C. (eds) Concepts, Approaches and Methods. Handbooks of Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment, vol 1. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0134-6_13

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