Bullying and Harassment in Downsized Workplaces: What Can We Learn from the 2008 Icelandic Economic Collapse?

Hjordis Sigursteinsdottir, Gudbjorg Linda Rafnsdottir and Gudbjorg Andrea Jonsdottir
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Hjordis Sigursteinsdottir: School of Business and Science, University of Akureyri, Nordurslod 2, 600 Akureyri, Iceland
Gudbjorg Linda Rafnsdottir: Faculty of Social and Human Science, University of Iceland, Saemundargotu 2, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
Gudbjorg Andrea Jonsdottir: Social Science Research Institute, University of Iceland, Saemundargotu 2, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: Research shows that bullying is a significant workplace issue. A previous study showed increased sickness-related absences among municipality employees during the Icelandic economic crisis in 2008. This led to the following research questions: has bullying and/or harassment increased between the time points of the study up to seven years after the crisis? Did bullying and/or harassment change depending on downsizing? Are quantitative job demands, role conflicts and social support connected to bullying and/or harassment at work and if so, how? The study is based on a four-wave longitudinal balanced panel dataset consisting of those who work within the education and care services operated by Icelandic municipalities. It was seen that bullying and harassment had increased between the time points of the study. Furthermore, employees in downsized workplaces, workplaces with higher quantitative job demands, more role conflicts and less support were more likely to experience bullying and/or harassment than employees in other workplaces. Since the effects may prevail for several years, the study demonstrates that the consequences of downsizing need to be carefully considered and that managers must be supported in that role. As economic crises tend to occur periodically, presently due to COVID-19, the knowledge is both of theoretical and practical importance.

Keywords: bullying; downsizing; economic crisis; harassment; job demand; role conflict; social support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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