Workplace Bullying Institute

The Workplace Bullying Institute
2007 U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey

5. Bullying is Top-Down

5a.) Not all bosses are bullies, but most bullies are bosses. 72% of bullies are bosses. The bully boss stereotype is real. However, co-workers do bully one another. It comes from all levels directed at people at all levels.

Question: What was the principal harasser's rank relative to the targeted person (You, if you were the target)?

Responses:
Harasser ranked higher (Boss), (72.3) 72%
Target and harasser same rank (Peer) (17.7) 18%
Harasser ranked lower (Bottom up from subordinate) (8.5) 9%

Slight gender differences surfaced. Women targets were bullied more by bosses (74.7% vs. 69%) and less by subordinates (6.1% vs. 11.6%) than men targets. Of the subordinate bullies, a higher percentage were women than men (9.5% vs. 7.8%) and men bullies were more likely to be bosses than women bullies (72.9% vs. 71.3%).

5b.) Bullies operate with confidence that they will not likely be punished because they enjoy support from higher-ups who can protect them if and when they are exposed. For those bullies to whom support is given (excluding the "No one" and "Not sure" categories), 43% of bullies have an executive sponsor; 33% thrive because of support from their peers, mostly fellow managers; and 14% get help from human resources.

Question: Who supported the harasser, if anyone? (Check all that apply)

Responses:
One or more senior managers or executives or owners, (35.2) 35%
The harassers'peers, (26.7) 27%
Human resources, (11.2) 11%
The target's peers, (7.8) 8%
No one, (30.2) 30%
Not sure, 13%
(n= 3090)

Adjusted percentages with exclusion of "No one" and "Not sure" responses (n= 2499)
One or more senior managers or executives or owners, 43%
The harassers'peers, 33%
Human resources, 14%
The target's peers, 10%

There were no gender differences in support for bullies.

5c.) Bullying is primarily top-down. Non-supervisory employees are the most frequently bullied, accounting for 55% of the total, with managers (from supervisors to mid-level to senior-level) second most frequently bullied (35%). Temps and contractors (whose livelihood is less vulnerable to an employer's control) represent only 5% of the bullied. Executives, Board members and owners represented 4.8% of the bullied.

Non-supervisory employees were also most likely to witness the bullying of others (63%), executives the least likely (4%).

Question: What was the targeted person's position?

Responses:
Bullying rates are given as percentages. Combined = currently + ever bullied

Respondent Rank	Currently	Ever Bullied	Combined	Witness
Non-Supervisory Employees	57.1	54.3	55.3	62.6
Supv/Mid/Senior Managers	31.2	36.8	35	29.1
Executives & Owners	4.4	4.8	4.8	3.7
Temps/Contractors	7.3	3.8	5	4.6