Bullying and inappropriate behaviour among faculty personnel

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

This study focuses on the degree, nature and consequences of bullying or inappropriate behaviour among faculty personnel ( n = 303) in a Finnish university. A total of 114 (38%) faculty members answered the email questionnaire. According to the results, 15% of the respondents had experienced bullying; in addition, 45% had experienced inappropriate behaviour. The person behind the bullying or inappropriate behaviour was a member of the teaching personnel ( f = 26), a member of the administration staff ( f = 23), a student ( f = 13) or a member of the research personnel ( f = 8). Bullying or inappropriate behaviour occurred during research work ( f = 21), personnel meetings ( f = 19), interaction situations (10), teaching ( f = 7), counselling ( f = 7) or during leisure time ( f = 1). Factor analysis revealed three dimensions of bullying: exclusion and discrimination, person-related belittlement and professional undermining. These dimensions were consistent with the categories of the consequences of bullying or inappropriate behaviour based on open-ended answers. The consequences of bullying or inappropriate behaviour primarily have an influence at the individual level as affective disorders and as a decrease in professional self-confidence and work performance. These consequences are also temporally and communally linked to a declining working environment and further to a reduction in the profitability of the faculty.