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Bullying in the 21st Century Global Organization: An Ethical Perspective

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Abstract

The complex global business environment has created a host of problems for managers, none of which is more difficult to address than bullying in the workplace. The rapid rate of change and the ever-increasing complexity of organizational environments of business throughout the world have increased the opportunity for bullying to occur more frequently. This article addresses the foundations of bullying by examining the ‘nature’ (i.e., bullying behavior influenced by the innate genetic make-up of an individual) and the ‘nurture’ (i.e., individuals learn to be bullies and environments allow the behavior to perpetuate) arguments for the occurrence of bullying behavior. In addition, guidelines are presented for managers in global organizations to use in assessing and monitoring bullying activities in global organizations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Mississippi, University, MS, U.S.A.

    Michael Harvey

  2. Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia

    Michael Harvey

  3. State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, U.S.A.

    Darren Treadway

  4. West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, U.S.A.

    Joyce Thompson Heames

  5. Lipscum University, Nashville, TN, U.S.A.

    Allison Duke

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  1. Michael Harvey
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  2. Darren Treadway
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  4. Allison Duke
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Correspondence to Michael Harvey.

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Harvey, M., Treadway, D., Heames, J.T. et al. Bullying in the 21st Century Global Organization: An Ethical Perspective. J Bus Ethics 85, 27–40 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9746-8

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