How Deep Culture and Deep Structure Sustain Workplace Bullying
Educational Blog, Academic Blog Kerstin Hecker, PhD Educational Blog, Academic Blog Kerstin Hecker, PhD

How Deep Culture and Deep Structure Sustain Workplace Bullying

Workplace bullying is often treated as a “personality problem,” yet it persists because it is typically sustained by deeper forces inside organizations. Drawing on Johan Galtung’s (2003) concept of a “deeper layer” beneath visible conflict, this article shows how bullying becomes system-consistent through deep structures (incentives, complaint pathways, risk logic), deep culture (minimization norms and gendered credibility gaps), and repeated violations of basic human needs for safety, dignity, and reality-validation. It also introduces a crucial modern asymmetry: organizations can function as legal “persons” while lacking an embodied moral nervous system, making it easier for harm to be absorbed by employees rather than repaired by the system. Read on.

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Women & bullying: Understanding Relational Aggression
Academic Blog, Educational Blog Kerstin Hecker, PhD Academic Blog, Educational Blog Kerstin Hecker, PhD

Women & bullying: Understanding Relational Aggression

Navigating the workplace can be challenging, especially when faced with subtle forms of bullying from colleagues or bosses. Many women encounter relational aggression, characterized by manipulative behaviors that undermine social relationships and self-esteem. Unlike overt bullying, relational aggression often involves covert tactics like gossip, social exclusion, silent treatment, and backhanded compliments. These confusing actions can leave you questioning your perceptions and emotional well-being. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for asserting your place in a professional environment. Learn how to spot relational aggression and how to respond to it.

*Blog Image by Kristina Flour @tinaflour via Unsplash.

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