Understanding the Bullying Experiences of Virtual Workers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore workplace bullying that occurs in the virtual workplace through the experiences of workers who have observed or experienced the phenomenon. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of workplace bullying as lived by virtual workers, shedding light on how workplace bullying occurs in a virtual context, as well as enhancing our understanding of the impacts on workers. Using an exploratory qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were held in 2018 with 12 adults who worked as virtual workers and either observed or experienced negative acts associated with workplace bullying in their virtual roles. The results confirmed that virtual workers are at risk of workplace bullying and that the effects are consistent with the physical, psychological, and social effects found in many studies regarding collocated workers. Findings also show that the nature of virtual work may bring some additional risk of incivilities that workers have to manage, which could increase the likelihood of bullying in this context.