Chapter 11: A Workplace Bullying Perspective: Blending the Melodies of Ballads (the Story) and Classical (the Research)

Why do some people feel the need to humiliate, ridicule, or sabotage their employees or their coworkers? Why do people become the targets of a workplace bully? If you recognize yourself as a bully or a target, what can you do to change? This chapter seeks to answer those questions through the eyes of research conducted by LaVena, and more importantly, by Bill’s story. Bill has been on both sides of the divide, as a workplace bully and as a target of workplace bullying. Although he believes his story is unremarkable, it provides an eye-opening perspective about workplace bullying through the bully’s lens. It is not often that one has an opportunity to see inside the mind of a workplace bully and understand the viewpoints and motivations of that person. Much of this chapter is open, honest, and brutal; it is shared by Bill in his own words. While the research supports certain aspects of his story, his candid story provides a wealth of ideas for future studies to help scholars understand workplace bullying on an even deeper level.