Employee Rights and Employment Policy Journal

Data from the National Organizations Survey (NOS-III), conducted in 2002/2003, were used to assess the extent of workplace bullying in the U.S. organizations. The association between bullying and organizational structure and work climate factors was also examined.

Results indicated that roughly twenty-four percent of companies surveyed reported some degree of bullying occurring during the past year. In the most recent bullying incident, the aggressor was typically an employee and the victim of bullying was also typically an employee. Both structural aspects of the organization and work climate factors were found to be predictive of workplace bullying. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research on the potential impact of workplace bullying on worker safety, health, and well-being.