Workplace bullying: is there a difference by enterprise size?

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Workplace bullying and its health effects are established, but understudied in small firms.
• Small enterprises differ significantly from large corporations in various aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if firm size impacts workplace bullying frequency.
• To investigate if bullying's health effects vary by company size.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the 2010 SUMER French survey data (N=31,420).
• Measurement of workplace bullying using the Leymann Inventory and questions on verbal/physical assaults.
• Assessment of anxiety/depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale), perceived health, sickness absence, and work injuries.

Main Results:

• Workplace bullying was less frequent in micro enterprises (<10 employees).
• Anxiety/depression, perceived health, and sickness absence were linked to bullying.
• The adverse health effects of bullying were significantly greater in micro enterprises.

Conclusions:

• Firm size is a key factor influencing workplace bullying prevalence and consequences.
• Micro enterprises experience a disproportionately higher impact of bullying on worker health.
• Findings offer implications for workplace interventions and guidelines tailored to firm size.