What do you think?
Rate this book
Mobbing: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions
An administrator known for her innovative on-the-job thinking becomes the target of anonymous rumors about financial mismanagement of her department. The rumors are proven baseless but her boss decides that she can't work with "that woman" anymore and prevents her from attending key meetings. The administrator sees a cardiologist for the first time in her life because of increasing chest pain, and her family doctor prescribes antidepressants "to get her over the hump." The administrator whose identity is interwoven with her job and company is bewildered by what is happening to her at work and says she doesn't know who she is anymore.
A middle school student is the target of relentless name-calling and slurs by a group of other kids at school. The slurs include derogatory comments about his sexuality, appearance, and family. The taunting has increased over several months, and many teachers have witnessed it. The student was the subject of a recent conversation in the faculty lounge, where some faculty members said the student needed to "toughen up," while others expressed concern for his well-being. The student's main strategy has been to try and keep away from the group of kids, but he finds himself trusting fewer of his "friends," feeling both angry and sad, and having a hard time concentrating.
What features of these two situations are almost identical, and why are they both classic instances of workplace and school mobbing? Mobbing is not the same as bullying, as the authors of this volume explain with cogent analysis of the organizational and contextual frameworks within which mobbing always occurs. From the Salem witch trials to workers trying to do the best they can at work, to kids whose humiliation in school has made the headlines, the authors offer numerous illustrations of mobbing, followed by insightful analyses and discussions of lessons learned. Duffy and Sperry provide a wealth of research to demonstrate the devastating toll that mobbing takes on its victims, their families, and the organizations where it occurs. The authors painstakingly avoid simplistic solutions to mobbing, such as removing the "bad apples," and instead, move the conversation forward by showing how bold and compassionate organizational leadership is required to improve conditions for the
benefit of both individuals and their organizations.
A middle school student is the target of relentless name-calling and slurs by a group of other kids at school. The slurs include derogatory comments about his sexuality, appearance, and family. The taunting has increased over several months, and many teachers have witnessed it. The student was the subject of a recent conversation in the faculty lounge, where some faculty members said the student needed to "toughen up," while others expressed concern for his well-being. The student's main strategy has been to try and keep away from the group of kids, but he finds himself trusting fewer of his "friends," feeling both angry and sad, and having a hard time concentrating.
What features of these two situations are almost identical, and why are they both classic instances of workplace and school mobbing? Mobbing is not the same as bullying, as the authors of this volume explain with cogent analysis of the organizational and contextual frameworks within which mobbing always occurs. From the Salem witch trials to workers trying to do the best they can at work, to kids whose humiliation in school has made the headlines, the authors offer numerous illustrations of mobbing, followed by insightful analyses and discussions of lessons learned. Duffy and Sperry provide a wealth of research to demonstrate the devastating toll that mobbing takes on its victims, their families, and the organizations where it occurs. The authors painstakingly avoid simplistic solutions to mobbing, such as removing the "bad apples," and instead, move the conversation forward by showing how bold and compassionate organizational leadership is required to improve conditions for the
benefit of both individuals and their organizations.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 6, 2012
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 17, 2013
What could be worse than being subjected to bullying behaviour? The answer is in Mobbing: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions. Mobbing happens when a group of people gang up and use bullying behaviour. When the target tries to get help, the organisation supports and sides with the group doing the bullying behaviour. There is a lot more to mobbing than that and it is clearly explained in Duffy & Sperry's book. It contains four parts: Introduction, How mobbing develops, Consequences & recovery and Solutions & prevention.
The introduction covers studying the problem, understanding and defining mobbing and recognising mobbing. It provides examples of it occurring not only in workplaces but also in schools. While there is differences between workplace and schools, there is also a lot of similarities and they suggest both sectors can learn from each other. This is because they see schools as being just another type of organisation. How mobbing develops looks at organisational dynamics, factors relating to group-leadership and individuals, organisational development and the risk factors for mobbing.
The consequences of someone being mobbed are severe and they layout the current research regarding the impacts in three sections. These are health & well being, family & relationships and career & work performance. It can make for depressing reading but its intent is to galvanise and demonstrate why action needs to be taken. The final section looks at what action can be taken both to prevent it occurring and after the event. This covers personal therapy plans, organisational support systems, systemic recovery skills, prevention strategies and policy & legislation.
The information included on workplace and school bullying behaviours and policy & laws reflect the seriousness and growing awareness around these issues. They offer a continuum of organisational health moving from very healthy & healthy to bullying then mobbing. This book helps builds your understanding and awareness that this is not just a problem about a few loners doing inappropriate things. It can be groups, management and whole organisations that have cultures and practices that actively support bullying behaviour. While not all parts of the book will be relevant to everyone, it offers a lot to a wide range of readers. This is an important read for anyone in leadership roles, supporting organisational change, counselling targets or dealing with bullying behaviour. Recommended.
The introduction covers studying the problem, understanding and defining mobbing and recognising mobbing. It provides examples of it occurring not only in workplaces but also in schools. While there is differences between workplace and schools, there is also a lot of similarities and they suggest both sectors can learn from each other. This is because they see schools as being just another type of organisation. How mobbing develops looks at organisational dynamics, factors relating to group-leadership and individuals, organisational development and the risk factors for mobbing.
The consequences of someone being mobbed are severe and they layout the current research regarding the impacts in three sections. These are health & well being, family & relationships and career & work performance. It can make for depressing reading but its intent is to galvanise and demonstrate why action needs to be taken. The final section looks at what action can be taken both to prevent it occurring and after the event. This covers personal therapy plans, organisational support systems, systemic recovery skills, prevention strategies and policy & legislation.
The information included on workplace and school bullying behaviours and policy & laws reflect the seriousness and growing awareness around these issues. They offer a continuum of organisational health moving from very healthy & healthy to bullying then mobbing. This book helps builds your understanding and awareness that this is not just a problem about a few loners doing inappropriate things. It can be groups, management and whole organisations that have cultures and practices that actively support bullying behaviour. While not all parts of the book will be relevant to everyone, it offers a lot to a wide range of readers. This is an important read for anyone in leadership roles, supporting organisational change, counselling targets or dealing with bullying behaviour. Recommended.
Displaying 1 of 1 review