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An Introduction to the Psychodynamics of Workplace Bullying

Author(s) : Sheila White

Reviews and Endorsements

‘Sheila White has been a pioneer in the recognition, understanding, and management of workplace bullying. Her interest and expertise in this area, covering more than a decade of research, is presented here in a distilled form, accessible to readers from academia to industry. Her primary aim is “to explore the hidden worlds that exist beneath the emotional and unpredictable aspects of workplace bullying”. She does this admirably by not simplifying causes, nor reducing management to name-calling and accusation. Rather, she has managed to use her psychoanalytic insights to explore and understand the manifest behaviours she describes. Chapters cover individual, interpersonal, group, and organisational examples, and are replete with easy-to-follow and instructive examples. This is a long-overdue book.’
— Dr Stanley Gold, past President of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (ISPSO)

‘This book offers a long-awaited re-conceptualisation of workplace bullying – different from the general linear view of perpetrator versus innocent bystander. It takes the reader on a fascinating journey beneath the surface, discovering the unconscious developmental phases in the relationship between bully and victim, with its complex psychic dynamics. Systemically, it offers insights into the dynamics of both bully and victim and the objects they represent for one another, followed by the accompanying group dynamics and the institutionalisation of bullying in the organisation. Logically structured and clearly written, it facilitates understanding of the psychodynamics and direction for managers, leaders, and HR practitioners to recognise and act on bullying dynamics.’
— Frans Cilliers, DPhil, Professor of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, University of South Africa, psychologist, and organisational consultant

‘As the author herself says, the root causes of workplace bullying are very complex and the impact of this phenomenon deeply affects not only the victim, but also onlookers and the larger systems in which they are imbedded. In this masterful volume, she offers a clear analysis of what lies below the surface of bullying in organisations and provides important guidance in how to cope with such destructive occurrences.’
— Rose Redding Mersky, organisational development consultant, and past President of ISPSO