Causes of upward bullying: Managers' perspectives

Despite the recent increase in focus on workplace bullying, research into the phenomenon referred to as ‘upwards bullying’ (i.e. managers who are bullied by their staff) has received modest attention. Within this paper the perception of managers as to what are the causes of upwards bullying is explored. After a review of the literature and using attribution theory as a framework a 22 item scale of the causes of upwards bullying was developed. An exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation of 119 (87 = Male; 32 = Female) responses to the items revealed a four factor solution. The results suggest it is vital to emphasise the multi-faceted nature of upwards bullying, including both individual and environmental factors within training programs.