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Learning Objective 1: 1. Ascertain 3 benefits of mixed-methods systematic review for addressing the adequacy of workplace bullying policies identified in U.S. states.
Learning Objective 2: 2. Summarize the overall adequacy of guidelines and objectives of workplace bullying policies proposed in 21 U.S. states.
Integrated findings from studies of bully, victim, and administrator experiences in regard to workplace bullying (WPB) demonstrate the intricacy of the essential milieu of WPB and highlight complexities of effective intervention. The purpose of this study was to assess congruence between guidelines and obligations stated in workplace bullying policies established in 21 US states, and themes depicting victim experiences emerging from a mixed-methods systematic review of WPB research. The investigators’ collective expertise in four disciplines served to strengthen analysis of the research question: ‘How adequate are guidelines and obligations of WPB policies, in light of themes emerging from a mixed-methods systematic review of relevant WPB studies?’
Methods:
The investigators employed a mixed-methods review using a multi-step process to structure their approach. Common themes emerging from existing, state-level WPB policies provided search terms for this study. Two teams worked simultaneously to search, screen, and map findings of studies focusing on WPB; one team analyzed quantitative study findings while the other used hermeneutics to assess themes emerging from qualitative studies. Finally, we integrated qualitative and quantitative findings to generate interpretive themes. Findings of our mixed-methods analyses maximize the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative findings, facilitating critical understanding of proposed, policy-based WPB interventions from the points of view of the people the interventions target.
Results:
Analyses demonstrate that: 1) WPB victims describe significant difficulty reporting experiences to supervisors; 2) numerous instruments are available to characterize the emotional response profile of WPB victims; 3) workplace administrators’ communications may provide limited support for reporting workplace victims; and 4) statements from proposed legislation in 21 US states address remedies for WPB across a range of adequacy.
Conclusion:
Findings from this mixed-methods review provide rich, thematic insights into ways to strengthen WPB intervention policy, adding to conclusions from the Cochrane review of intervention studies related to WPB.
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