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The Interface Between Significant Others and Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment

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Book cover Pathways of Job-related Negative Behaviour

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment ((HWBEAH,volume 2))

Abstract

Though limited, the extant international literature on the interface between significant others, such as family and friends, and workplace bullying, emotional abuse and harassment is not restricted to cross-domain spillovers where significant others are indirect targets, but encompasses evidence of families as perpetrators as well as direct targets of workplace mistreatment. In terms of spillover, significant others are found to support targets and bullies while mixed effects mark the relationship between significant others and targets and bullies. The spillover experiences of significant others are found to vary across the different family subsystems as well as between friends at and beyond work. Moreover, families either themselves bully their members due to/during the latter’s work or are complicit when their members are bullied by others at work. They also bully third parties whose work involves interacting with their members. Besides, families are directly targeted either by the same bully who mistreats their member at work or by the targets who are bullied by their member at work. This breadth of insights comes largely from literature revolving around targets and their significant others, though there are a few findings pertaining to bullies and their significant others. What is striking is the paradoxical role of significant others which simultaneously buffers targets yet adds to the strain. Suggestions for further research to deepen our understanding and then feed into suitable interventions are made.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology of Work and Organizations, Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Priscila Gasperin Pellegrini & Suzana da Rosa Tolfo

  2. Laboratory of Health, Family and Community, Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Simone Dill Azeredo Bolze

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

    Premilla D’Cruz

Authors
  1. Priscila Gasperin Pellegrini
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  2. Suzana da Rosa Tolfo
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  3. Simone Dill Azeredo Bolze
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  4. Premilla D’Cruz
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Priscila Gasperin Pellegrini or Premilla D’Cruz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Organizational Behaviour (OB), Indian Institute of Management Organizational Behaviour (OB), Ahmedabad, India

    Premilla D'Cruz

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

    Ernesto Noronha

  3. Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven Faculty of Economics and Business, Brussels, Brussels Hoofdst.ge., Belgium

    Elfi Baillien

  4. School of Management, North Shore MSC, Massey University School of Management, North Shore MSC, Auckland, New Zealand

    Bevan Catley

  5. The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Karen Harlos

  6. Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen Department of Psychology, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Annie Hogh

  7. Gemzoe Consult, Aarhus, Denmark

    Eva Gemzoe Mikkelsen

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Pellegrini, P.G., Tolfo, S.d.R., Bolze, S.D.A., D’Cruz, P. (2019). The Interface Between Significant Others and Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment. In: D'Cruz, P., et al. Pathways of Job-related Negative Behaviour. Handbooks of Workplace Bullying, Emotional Abuse and Harassment, vol 2. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6173-8_15-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6173-8_15-1

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