Whistleblowing is an action of informing external authorities or organizations of wrongdoing at work. Due to their actions, whistleblowers often meet with ostracism and bullying at work. On the other hand, bullying might lead to whistleblowing, when employees witnessing violence against one of the their colleagues, decide to inform authorities about such practices. In her lecture, Professor Brita Bjørkelo from the Norwegian Police University College will talk about the complex relationship between whistleblowing and bullying.
The lecture, organized by SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral School is a part of the series The Challenges of the Humanities of the 21st Century.
The lecture will be delivered in English. Free admission.
Historically, research on workplace bullying and whistleblowing originate from different sources. While bullying is traced back to animal behavior and how several members may gang up towards a single member, whistleblowing is linked to Hebrew prophets risking their lives when criticizing their rulers in the 8th century before Christ, and Socrates who was prosecuted and later sentenced to death for corrupting youths with stories of ‘truth’ (parrhesia).
Over time, accounts have been made, of how employees that voice their concerns about wrongdoing at work may be met with retaliation in the form of victimization, ostracism, and bullying at work. According to a model of predictors of retaliation, retaliation occurs when power processes involved are described as associated with minority influence (e.g., whistleblower and job situation), social power as well as resource dependency (e.g., organization). Still, as power relationships may change over time delineating “interaction effects may be difficult”.
Preliminary evidence suggest that bullying behaviors may follow whistleblowing, and that bullying may lead to voice. Thus, not only can whistleblowing be a precursor to subsequent exposure to workplace bullying, but employees can also apply “‘voice’ when they articulate their dissent or dissatisfaction with an organizational practice”, that is, for instance when notifying their employers about other members of the organization being bullied. However, less is known what may explain why being exposed to bullying predicts later whistleblowing about actions that do not relate to oneself, but others (e.g., destructive leadership, and harassment of colleagues).
This presentation departs from these two strands of research and presents several scientific investigations in order to disentangle the intertwined ways whistleblowing and workplace bullying are interrelated.
Speaker
Brita Bjørkelo, cand.psychol, PhD, professor, works at the research department, Norwegian Police University College. She is involved in investigations on grey area police cases, ethical dilemmas among Senior Investigative Officer (SIO’s), and is also involved in several research projects on whistleblowing. Bjørkelo is involved in projects on Diversity in police education and organization and Gender representation in top positions in Academe, and manages a project on Teacher Education, Ethics and Social Media.
We have a rare opportunity to hear two speakers, Professor Brita Bjørkelo from Norway and Professor Eva Gemzøe Mikkelsen from Denmark, in one day in our international lecture series. Both speakers research the phenomenon of bullying. We have a chance to learn about different studies related to this topic.
Professor Izabela Grabowska, Director of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School
“The Challenges of Humanities of the 21st Century” is a series of lectures by distinguished specialists, who represent various disciplines from the field of humanities. The events are aimed at students of SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral School, however all interested parties are welcome. The format includes post-lecture informal discussions on topics presented by the invited experts. The friendly atmosphere of the events is conducive to networking, which lends itself to opportunities of future internships at universities or research centers around the world.
Doctoral Studies at SWPS University are directed to people interested in an academic career and also to those, who would like to continue their education and personal development in support of their career advancement. The interdisciplinary character of our programs allows students to participate in projects from various disciplines. Our doctoral students collaborate with scholars from the best research centers in Poland and around the world. The master-apprentice approach guarantees that each student receives individual attention and professional support.
Date and Location
April 5, 2019 at 16.00
Ostrowskiego 30b, 53-238 Wrocław, Poland, room 127
Contact
SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral Studies School
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.