564393
letter2015
WHSXXX10.1177/2165079914564393Workplace Health & SafetyWorkplace Health & Safety
Workplace Health & Safety
vol. 63 ■ no. 1
Letter to Editor
The Effects of Workplace Bullying on Nurses Mevlut Karadag, PhD1, Ibrahim Halil Cankul, PhD2, and Huseyin Abuhanoglu, MS2
Dear Editor, In a recent issue of Workplace Health & Safety, we read with interest the article by Ovayolu, Ovayolu, and Karadag (2014) titled “Workplace Bullying in Nursing” which reported on a study of 260 nurses working in three public hospitals. The authors emphasized how bullying behaviors affect the behaviors of nurses and suggested strategies to prevent these negative behaviors (Ovayolu et al., 2014). However, we think that some points should be discussed further. The authors did not identify the study scale, including who developed the instrument or how many items comprised the tool. Also they did not report the validity or reliability of the scale and whether the data in this study followed a normal distribution. These issues could cause misinterpretation of the findings and negatively affect the validity of the study (Çakmur, 2012; Karagoz & Ekici, 2004; Ruacan, 2005). The exposure to and frequency of bullying behavior was not clearly stated which could cause a misunderstanding of both the identification and assessment of these behaviors. It is essential that bullying behaviors be negative and hostile, repeated in a systematic way, and continue through a certain time period according to the investigators. Displaying negative interpersonal behavior once or a few times should not be considered bullying (Einarsen, Hoel, & Notelears, 2009; Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Cooper, 2003; Leymann, 1996; Salin, 2003). Leymann (1996) has defined this negative behavior frequency as occurring at least once per week and continuing at least 6 months. Occupational health nurses must define bullying behaviors, identify individuals responsible for preventing workplace
bullying, and develop organizational policies to eliminate workplace bullying.
References Çakmur, H. (2012). Measurement-reliability-validity in research. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin, 11, 339-344. doi:10.5455/pmb.11322486024 Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., & Notelears, G. (2009). Measuring exposure to bullying and harassment at work: Validity, factor structure and psychometric properties of the Negative Acts Questionnaire–Revised. Work & Stress, 23, 24-44. doi:10.1080/02678370902815673 Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C. L. (2003). The concept of bullying at work: The European tradition. In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace (pp. 3-30). London, England: Taylor & Francis. Karagoz, Y., & Ekici, S. (2004). Statistical techniques, and scales which are used in practical research in social sciences. Cumhuriyet University Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 5(1), 25-43. Leymann, H. (1996). The content and development of mobbing at work. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 5, 165-184. doi:10.1080/13594329608414853 Ovayolu, O., Ovayolu, N., & Karadag, G. (2014). Workplace bullying in nursing. Workplace Health & Safety, 11, 1-5. doi:10.3928/2165079920140804-04 Ruacan, S. (2005). Scientific research and ethical rules of publication. Gazi Medical Journal, 16(4), 147-149. Salin, D. (2003). Bullying and organisational politics in competitive and rapidly changing work environments. International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 4, 35-46. doi:10.1504/ IJMDM.2003.002487
DOI: 10.1177/2165079914564393. From 1Agri Military Hospital and 2Gulhane Military Medical Faculty Training Hospital. Address correspondence to: Mevlut Karadag, Department of Administration, Agri Military Hospital, Agri 04018, Turkey; email: [email protected]. For reprints and permissions queries, please visit SAGE’s Web site at http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav. Copyright © 2015 The Author(s)
5 Downloaded from whs.sagepub.com at UNIV OF WINNIPEG on October 29, 2015
letter2015
WHSXXX10.1177/2165079914564393Workplace Health & SafetyWorkplace Health & Safety
Workplace Health & Safety
vol. 63 ■ no. 1
Letter to Editor
The Effects of Workplace Bullying on Nurses Mevlut Karadag, PhD1, Ibrahim Halil Cankul, PhD2, and Huseyin Abuhanoglu, MS2
Dear Editor, In a recent issue of Workplace Health & Safety, we read with interest the article by Ovayolu, Ovayolu, and Karadag (2014) titled “Workplace Bullying in Nursing” which reported on a study of 260 nurses working in three public hospitals. The authors emphasized how bullying behaviors affect the behaviors of nurses and suggested strategies to prevent these negative behaviors (Ovayolu et al., 2014). However, we think that some points should be discussed further. The authors did not identify the study scale, including who developed the instrument or how many items comprised the tool. Also they did not report the validity or reliability of the scale and whether the data in this study followed a normal distribution. These issues could cause misinterpretation of the findings and negatively affect the validity of the study (Çakmur, 2012; Karagoz & Ekici, 2004; Ruacan, 2005). The exposure to and frequency of bullying behavior was not clearly stated which could cause a misunderstanding of both the identification and assessment of these behaviors. It is essential that bullying behaviors be negative and hostile, repeated in a systematic way, and continue through a certain time period according to the investigators. Displaying negative interpersonal behavior once or a few times should not be considered bullying (Einarsen, Hoel, & Notelears, 2009; Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Cooper, 2003; Leymann, 1996; Salin, 2003). Leymann (1996) has defined this negative behavior frequency as occurring at least once per week and continuing at least 6 months. Occupational health nurses must define bullying behaviors, identify individuals responsible for preventing workplace
bullying, and develop organizational policies to eliminate workplace bullying.
References Çakmur, H. (2012). Measurement-reliability-validity in research. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin, 11, 339-344. doi:10.5455/pmb.11322486024 Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., & Notelears, G. (2009). Measuring exposure to bullying and harassment at work: Validity, factor structure and psychometric properties of the Negative Acts Questionnaire–Revised. Work & Stress, 23, 24-44. doi:10.1080/02678370902815673 Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., & Cooper, C. L. (2003). The concept of bullying at work: The European tradition. In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and emotional abuse in the workplace (pp. 3-30). London, England: Taylor & Francis. Karagoz, Y., & Ekici, S. (2004). Statistical techniques, and scales which are used in practical research in social sciences. Cumhuriyet University Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 5(1), 25-43. Leymann, H. (1996). The content and development of mobbing at work. European Journal of Work & Organizational Psychology, 5, 165-184. doi:10.1080/13594329608414853 Ovayolu, O., Ovayolu, N., & Karadag, G. (2014). Workplace bullying in nursing. Workplace Health & Safety, 11, 1-5. doi:10.3928/2165079920140804-04 Ruacan, S. (2005). Scientific research and ethical rules of publication. Gazi Medical Journal, 16(4), 147-149. Salin, D. (2003). Bullying and organisational politics in competitive and rapidly changing work environments. International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 4, 35-46. doi:10.1504/ IJMDM.2003.002487
DOI: 10.1177/2165079914564393. From 1Agri Military Hospital and 2Gulhane Military Medical Faculty Training Hospital. Address correspondence to: Mevlut Karadag, Department of Administration, Agri Military Hospital, Agri 04018, Turkey; email: [email protected]. For reprints and permissions queries, please visit SAGE’s Web site at http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav. Copyright © 2015 The Author(s)
5 Downloaded from whs.sagepub.com at UNIV OF WINNIPEG on October 29, 2015
