Mobbing in Higher Education: Descriptive and Inductive Case Narrative Analyses of Mobber Behavior, Mobbee Responses, and Witness Support

Abstract

Previous studies investigated relationships between mobbing and increased workplace and interpersonal conflict at institutional settings. social-economic-cultural variables of the work environment, and job content, along with the economic and health outcomes of mobbing. Our mixed method research particularly focuses on mobbing in both public and private higher education institutions in the light of two consecutive studies in Turkey: a descriptive quantitative research based on survey data (N = 481) followed by a deeper qualitative analysis of case narratives collected from a smaller sample (N = 19). Exploring the interrelations between mobbing/mobber behavior, mobbee responses, and witness support based on multi-criteria frameworks of mobbing, our study revealed the superior level of mobbing at public settings compared to private. and the prevalence of affiliation related to mobbing. The analysis of case narratives revealed how favoritism, personal hostility, differences in political/religious thoughts were the main causes of mobbing while most of the mobbing came from superiors. Narratives also confirmed the descriptive study on witness support since we observed it playing an overall significant role in the mobbing behavior, mobbee responses and the work environment.