Workplace Bullying in South Korea: An exploratory study

Abstract

The role of national culture on the manifestation of workplace bullying has been illustrated by a limited body of literature (e.g., bully status in the UK and Scandinavia). Considering the difference that exists even amongst the Western countries, a question is raised over how bullying may manifest in a culture that is completely different from Western culture (South Korea, in specific). Korean employees with a minimum tenure of three months and from various occupational backgrounds were recruited and 193 employees completed the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised(NAQ-R). The overall prevalence rates of bullying (both subjective and operational) were not particularly high with Korean sample. A significant difference was observed between age-groups in their operational victim status, but not self-reported victim status. It was also found that peers were most frequently reported as ‘bullies’ followed by superiors and subordinates. Finally, a significant association was found between school bullying experience and self-reported workplace bullying. The results were explained based on Korean culture and history and their implications were discussed. This study revealed how culture and history were embedded in workplace bullying in South Korea.