Book Review

• Author: Hazel Mawdsley
• Date: 01 March 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12059
• Published date: 01 March 2016

New Technology, Work and Employment 31:1

ISSN 0268-1072

Book Review

The handbook of dealing with workplace bullying

Anne-Marie, Quigg (ed) (2015), Farnham: Gower Publishing Ltd. 244 pp. £70.

This edited volume is a collection of research findings, conceptual works and

practitioner accounts related to workplace bullying. An imprecise conceptualisation

of workplace bullying as ‘certain types of abusive behaviours in certain parts of

the world’ (Martin p. xv) has been adopted by the editors and the term is used

interchangeably with similar, but subtly different, nomenclature, such as, ‘harass-

ment’, ‘moral harassment’ or ‘mobbing’. Academic definitions, which tend to em-

phasise the repetitive and enduring nature of unwarranted behaviour and the

role of unequal power relations in the bullying process, are eschewed. This may

reflect an intention to target the book at a practitioner, rather than academic,

audience.

Within the book’s nine chapters, the first chapter considers technological im-

plications for bullying, with a focus on a particular area where information tech-

nology and bullying converge. Maier and Coulson report the findings of a study

into online support for perceived targets. To date, much of the exploration of the

relationship between information technology and workplace bullying has centred

on its misuse as a vehicle for bullying, often referred to as ‘cyberbullying’, for

example, through the malicious use of email or social media. Here, the Internet’s

potential as a self- help tool is considered by providing the opportunity for those

who feel bullied at work to share their experiences and gain mutual support.

The chapter reports the emerging themes from the content of online ‘group in-

terviews’, which consist of four open- ended questions, conducted with 61 users

of online support. While there are methodological limitations to the self- selected

sample, as acknowledged by the authors, there are some interesting revelations

about why some bullied individuals are drawn to online self- help. The Internet

is not only a convenient source of support but also it provides an anonymous

social space in which people can express their feelings safely and may fill a void

where professional support is not forthcoming. The authors note their findings

support the ‘online disinhibition effect’, whereby the anonymous nature of the

Internet encourages the disclosure of negative experiences which may prove dif-

ficult in face- to- face interaction.

Maier and Coulson also clarify the nature of the support provided by online

groups, which could be either emotional support, by having one’s interpretation

of events as bullying legitimised by those with a shared understanding, or infor-

mational support, by providing advice on how to manage bullying situations.

The authors draw on ‘optimal matching’ theory, whereby different types of support

are appropriate according to the degree of controllability over the situation, in

proposing informational support may be more relevant in controllable situations.

Importantly, the findings open up a debate about the efficacy of online self- help

groups for targets of bullying. The positive impacts include reduced feelings of

isolation and increased sense of empowerment and the ability to cope. But for

others, the asynchrony, distance and secretiveness afforded by the Internet created

delays, misunderstandings and unwelcome comments in responses from fellow

users, especially where support sites were not moderated. The authors highlighted

a particular feature of online ‘lay’ support groups which could be problematic

for targets of workplace bullying in drawing members from a range of national

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Book review 97