Upward bullying (UB) is not new to the lexicon of harassment in the workplace. It is often misunderstood and unrecognizable as a viable term and construct under the harassment banner by the masses. For instance, some men and many women described to their loved ones a sickening feeling they experienced in the workplace at the hands of an unrequested love interest. As such, sexually harassed workers were unable to explain the magnitude and psychological impact the encounters had on their abilities to cope with these unknown phenomena of job pressures and job security. Once the actions and actors of the then-unknown phenomenon of sexual harassment were named, defined, and explained the experiences and overtures initiated by an unrequested love interest in the workplace were clearly understood by others.

Likewise, UB parallels sexual harassment in the workplace. In the sense, many men and women in managerial roles described to their loved ones a sickening feeling they experienced in the workplace at the hands of their undermining and underperforming subordinates. Much like sexually harassed workers, the bullied manager is unable to explain the magnitude and psychological impact the encounter had on his or her abilities to cope with these unknown phenomena of job pressures and job security. Thus, until the actions and actors of UB are fully explored and described like its harassment counterparts: sexual harassment, school bullying, and cyberbullying. UB will continue to be an unrecognizable component of bullying behavior in the workplace.

This interactive presentation will provide managers and supervisors with a conceptual, contextual, and intellectual knowledge of UB and help managers and supervisors frame constructive practices and dialogue, which is necessary to detect and identify, coach and educate, prevent and mitigate, and ultimately suppress the problems of Upward Bullying in the workplace.

This program covers topics in the Leadership Development track.

Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) covered in this session: Leading Change (Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, Vision); Leading People (Conflict Management, Developing Others, Team Building); Results Driven (Accountability, Decisiveness, Problem Solving); Business Acumen (Human Capital Management); Building Coalitions (Partnering, Political Savvy, Influencing/Negotiating); and Fundamental Competencies (Interpersonal Skills, Oral Communication, Integrity/Honesty, Continual Learning)

Dr. Bolling earned his Doctorate in Organizational Management with an emphasis in Leadership at the University of Phoenix, Master of Arts in Administrative Management with a concentration in accounting and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting from Bowie State University. He authored “Upward bullying in the workplace: A phenomenological study” for the e-Journal of Social and Behavioural Research in Business (June 2019), presented upward bullying training for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 2nd annual research summit at American University School of Public Affairs, the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA), and the National Labor Relations Board 2019 Leadership Conference.