Academic mobbing in a higher education institution. An auto ethnography

In many institutions, rivalries, gossip, and toxic behavior are present. This kind of behavior and dynamics is called academic mobbing, and it hinders organizational growth. This article presents an auto-ethnography about an experience in a Higher Education Institution. The objective was to describe factors contributing to a toxic environment, the impact of this context on an academic, and strategies to overcome the mobbing experience. Higher Education institutions are experimenting with a change in their role as knowledge sources. All agents in these institutions could benefit from developing leadership skills to foster organizational growth and adapt to changing circumstances. The most recognized institutions have academic or organizational cultures oriented toward excellence and competitive academics who achieve high levels of scholarly productivity. Traditionally, universities have been considered learning organizations, but the reality is that they have some mental and functional barriers that impede their members’ learning and organizational change.