IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v199y2025i4d10.1007_s10551-024-05861-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the Coping Strategies of Bullying Targets in Organisations Through Abductive Reasoning: An Agent-Based Simulation Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Chia-Hao Ho

    (National Sun Yat-Sen University)

  • Marco Campenni

    (University of Exeter Business School)

  • Constantine Manolchev

    (University of Exeter Business School)

  • Duncan Lewis

    (University of Plymouth)

  • Navonil Mustafee

    (University of Exeter Business School)

Abstract

Over recent decades, workplace bullying and other forms of ‘negative acts’ have become a phenomenon of global interest. Extant scholarship has recognized the negative effects, which escalating acts of verbal and physical aggression can have on individuals and the wider, ethical infrastructure of organisations. While previous studies have explored the antecedents of such negative acts and proposed various intervention and prevention strategies, there remains a critical need to examine the coping strategies employed by those targeted by bullying, particularly in instances where silence is the chosen response. In this pioneering study, we use primary data from two UK National Health Service trusts and agent-based social simulation, to determine whether it is possible to influence the coping strategies of bullying targets. Our findings suggest that perceived organisational support has a strong effect on changing bullying coping strategies, away from external (solicitors, Court of Law) and towards internal channels (colleagues, managers, etc.). We also find that TU membership can moderately influence a change in bullying coping strategies from doing nothing to taking actions. The article makes a conceptual contribution to the literature on coping strategies as a result of (un)ethical behaviour in organisations, offers methodological innovation and makes recommendations to organisational policymakers.

Suggested Citation

  • Chia-Hao Ho & Marco Campenni & Constantine Manolchev & Duncan Lewis & Navonil Mustafee, 2025. "Exploring the Coping Strategies of Bullying Targets in Organisations Through Abductive Reasoning: An Agent-Based Simulation Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 199(4), pages 839-861, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:199:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05861-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-024-05861-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-024-05861-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-024-05861-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sonia Ghumman & Ann Marie Ryan & Jin Suk Park, 2024. "Who Helps Who? The Role of Stigma Dimensions in Harassment Intervention," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(1), pages 87-109, January.
    2. Frances J. Milliken & Elizabeth W. Morrison & Patricia F. Hewlin, 2003. "An Exploratory Study of Employee Silence: Issues that Employees Don’t Communicate Upward and Why," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(6), pages 1453-1476, September.
    3. Flaminio Squazzoni & J. Gareth Polhill & Bruce Edmonds & Petra Ahrweiler & Patrycja Antosz & Geeske Scholz & Emile Chappin & Melania Borit & Harko Verhagen & Francesca Giardini & Nigel Gilbert, 2020. "Computational Models That Matter During a Global Pandemic Outbreak: A Call to Action," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 23(2), pages 1-10.
    4. Miguel Martínez Lucio & Heather Connolly, 2010. "Contextualizing Voice and Stakeholders: Researching Employment Relations, Immigration and Trade Unions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 19-29, December.
    5. Nathan Eva & Alexander Newman & Qing Miao & Dan Wang & Brian Cooper, 2020. "Antecedents of Duty Orientation and Follower Work Behavior: The Interactive Effects of Perceived Organizational Support and Ethical Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 627-639, January.
    6. Coreynen, Wim & Vanderstraeten, Johanna & van Witteloostuijn, Arjen & Cannaerts, Nele & Loots, Ellen & Slabbinck, Hendrik, 2020. "What drives product-service integration? An abductive study of decision-makers’ motives and value strategies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 189-200.
    7. Pamela Lutgen‐Sandvik & Sarah J. Tracy & Jess K. Alberts, 2007. "Burned by Bullying in the American Workplace: Prevalence, Perception, Degree and Impact," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(6), pages 837-862, September.
    8. Su-Ying Pan & Katrina Jia Lin, 2018. "Who Suffers When Supervisors are Unhappy? The Roles of Leader–Member Exchange and Abusive Supervision," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 799-811, September.
    9. Elmar Kiesling & Markus Günther & Christian Stummer & Lea Wakolbinger, 2012. "Agent-based simulation of innovation diffusion: a review," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 20(2), pages 183-230, June.
    10. Al-Karim Samnani & Parbudyal Singh, 2016. "Workplace Bullying: Considering the Interaction Between Individual and Work Environment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 537-549, December.
    11. Grimshaw, Damian & Rubery, Jill, 1998. "Integrating the Internal and External Labour Markets," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 22(2), pages 199-220, March.
    12. Shin, Duckjung & Woodwark, Meredith J. & Konrad, Alison M. & Jung, Yongsuhk, 2022. "Innovation strategy, voice practices, employee voice participation, and organizational innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 392-402.
    13. Volker Grimm & Steven F. Railsback & Christian E. Vincenot & Uta Berger & Cara Gallagher & Donald L. DeAngelis & Bruce Edmonds & Jiaqi Ge & Jarl Giske & Jürgen Groeneveld & Alice S.A. Johnston & Alex, 2020. "The ODD Protocol for Describing Agent-Based and Other Simulation Models: A Second Update to Improve Clarity, Replication, and Structural Realism," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 23(2), pages 1-7.
    14. Gro Mathisen & Ståle Einarsen & Reidar Mykletun, 2011. "The Relationship Between Supervisor Personality, Supervisors’ Perceived Stress and Workplace Bullying," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(4), pages 637-651, April.
    15. Irena Pilch & Elżbieta Turska, 2015. "Relationships Between Machiavellianism, Organizational Culture, and Workplace Bullying: Emotional Abuse from the Target’s and the Perpetrator’s Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 83-93, April.
    16. Aimin Yan & Hao Guo & Zhiqing E. Zhou & Julan Xie & Hao Ma, 2023. "How Moral Identity Inhibits Employee Silence Behavior: The Roles of Felt Obligation and Corporate Social Responsibility Perception," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(2), pages 405-420, October.
    17. Chris F. Wright, 2016. "Leveraging Reputational Risk: Sustainable Sourcing Campaigns for Improving Labour Standards in Production Networks," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 195-210, August.
    18. Iain Coyne & Alana-Marie Gopaul & Marilyn Campbell & Alexandra Pankász & Robyn Garland & Frances Cousans, 2019. "Bystander Responses to Bullying at Work: The Role of Mode, Type and Relationship to Target," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 813-827, July.
    19. Céline Louche & Lotte Staelens & Marijke D’Haese, 2020. "When Workplace Unionism in Global Value Chains Does Not Function Well: Exploring the Impediments," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 379-398, March.
    20. Grimm, Volker & Berger, Uta & DeAngelis, Donald L. & Polhill, J. Gary & Giske, Jarl & Railsback, Steven F., 2010. "The ODD protocol: A review and first update," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(23), pages 2760-2768.
    21. Michael J. Piore, 2011. "Whither Industrial Relations: Does It Have a Future in Post‐Industrial Society?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(4), pages 792-801, December.
    22. Michael Harvey & Darren Treadway & Joyce Heames & Allison Duke, 2009. "Bullying in the 21st Century Global Organization: An Ethical Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 85(1), pages 27-40, March.
    23. Bożena Mielczarek, 2016. "Review of modelling approaches for healthcare simulation," Operations Research and Decisions, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Management, vol. 26(1), pages 55-72.
    24. Brailsford, Sally C. & Eldabi, Tillal & Kunc, Martin & Mustafee, Navonil & Osorio, Andres F., 2019. "Hybrid simulation modelling in operational research: A state-of-the-art review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 278(3), pages 721-737.
    25. Enrico Fontana & Sanne Frandsen & Mette Morsing, 2023. "Saving the World? How CSR Practitioners Live Their Calling by Constructing Different Types of Purpose in Three Occupational Stages," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(4), pages 741-766, July.
    26. Isaac H. Smith & Andrew T. Soderberg & Ekaterina Netchaeva & Gerardo A. Okhuysen, 2023. "An Examination of Mind Perception and Moral Reasoning in Ethical Decision-Making: A Mixed-Methods Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(3), pages 671-690, March.
    27. Peixu He & Zhenglong Peng & Hongdan Zhao & Christophe Estay, 2019. "How and When Compulsory Citizenship Behavior Leads to Employee Silence: A Moderated Mediation Model Based on Moral Disengagement and Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi Views," Post-Print hal-02054246, HAL.
    28. Nanda Wijermans & René Jorna & Wander Jager & Tony van Vliet & Otto Adang, 2013. "CROSS: Modelling Crowd Behaviour with Social-Cognitive Agents," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 16(4), pages 1-1.
    29. Hongdan Zhao & Yuanhua Chen & Weiwei Liu, 2023. "Socially Responsible Human Resource Management and Employee Moral Voice: Based on the Self-determination Theory," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(3), pages 929-946, March.
    30. David Lewis & Wim Vandekerckhove, 2018. "Trade Unions and the Whistleblowing Process in the UK: An Opportunity for Strategic Expansion?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(4), pages 835-845, April.
    31. Paul Davidsson, 2002. "Agent Based Social Simulation: a Computer Science View," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7.
    32. Mackey, Jeremy D. & Parker Ellen, B. & McAllister, Charn P. & Alexander, Katherine C., 2021. "The dark side of leadership: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of destructive leadership research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 705-718.
    33. Peixu He & Zhenglong Peng & Hongdan Zhao & Christophe Estay, 2019. "How and When Compulsory Citizenship Behavior Leads to Employee Silence: A Moderated Mediation Model Based on Moral Disengagement and Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi Views," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(1), pages 259-274, March.
    34. Muel Kaptein & Mark Schwartz, 2008. "The Effectiveness of Business Codes: A Critical Examination of Existing Studies and the Development of an Integrated Research Model," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 77(2), pages 111-127, January.
    35. Heungsik Park & Brita Bjørkelo & John Blenkinsopp, 2020. "External Whistleblowers’ Experiences of Workplace Bullying by Superiors and Colleagues," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 591-601, January.
    36. Jeremy D. Mackey & Jeremy R. Brees & Charn P. McAllister & Michelle L. Zorn & Mark J. Martinko & Paul Harvey, 2018. "Victim and Culprit? The Effects of Entitlement and Felt Accountability on Perceptions of Abusive Supervision and Perpetration of Workplace Bullying," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 659-673, December.
    37. Mark S. Schwartz, 2016. "Ethical Decision-Making Theory: An Integrated Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(4), pages 755-776, December.
    38. Xiaoyu Wang & Xiaotong (Janey) Zheng & Shuming Zhao, 2022. "Repaying the Debt: An Examination of the Relationship between Perceived Organizational Support and Unethical Pro-organizational Behavior by Low Performers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(3), pages 697-709, September.
    39. Eric Silverman & Jakub Bijak & Jason Hilton & Viet Dung Cao & Jason Noble, 2013. "When Demography Met Social Simulation: A Tale of Two Modelling Approaches," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 16(4), pages 1-9.
    40. Orlando C. Richard & O. Dorian Boncoeur & Hao Chen & David L. Ford, 2020. "Supervisor Abuse Effects on Subordinate Turnover Intentions and Subsequent Interpersonal Aggression: The Role of Power-Distance Orientation and Perceived Human Resource Support Climate," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 549-563, July.
    41. Berger,Suzanne & Piore,Michael J., 1980. "Dualism and Discontinuity in Industrial Societies," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521231343, November.
    42. David Whiteside & Laurie Barclay, 2013. "Echoes of Silence: Employee Silence as a Mediator Between Overall Justice and Employee Outcomes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 116(2), pages 251-266, August.
    43. James Weber & David Wasieleski, 2013. "Corporate Ethics and Compliance Programs: A Report, Analysis and Critique," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(4), pages 609-626, February.
    44. Tahira M. Probst & Laura Petitta & Claudio Barbaranelli & Christopher Austin, 2020. "Safety-Related Moral Disengagement in Response to Job Insecurity: Counterintuitive Effects of Perceived Organizational and Supervisor Support," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 343-358, March.
    45. Wenrui Cao & Peikai Li & Reine van der Wal & Toon Taris, 2023. "Leadership and Workplace Aggression: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 347-367, August.
    46. Spenser G. Seifert & Ethan G. LaMothe & Donna Bobek Schmitt, 2023. "Perceptions of the Ethical Infrastructure, Professional Autonomy, and Ethical Judgments in Accounting Work Environments," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 821-850, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jeremy D. Mackey & Jeremy R. Brees & Charn P. McAllister & Michelle L. Zorn & Mark J. Martinko & Paul Harvey, 2018. "Victim and Culprit? The Effects of Entitlement and Felt Accountability on Perceptions of Abusive Supervision and Perpetration of Workplace Bullying," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 659-673, December.
    2. Noeldeke, Beatrice & Winter, Etti & Ntawuhiganayo, Elisée Bahati, 2022. "Representing human decision-making in agent-based simulation models: Agroforestry adoption in rural Rwanda," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Lijing Zhao & Long W. Lam & Julie N. Y. Zhu & Shuming Zhao, 2022. "Doing It Purposely? Mediation of Moral Disengagement in the Relationship Between Illegitimate Tasks and Counterproductive Work Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(3), pages 733-747, September.
    4. Al-Karim Samnani, 2013. "The Early Stages of Workplace Bullying and How It Becomes Prolonged: The Role of Culture in Predicting Target Responses," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 113(1), pages 119-132, March.
    5. Omer Farooq Malik & Shaun Pichler, 2023. "Linking Perceived Organizational Politics to Workplace Cyberbullying Perpetration: The Role of Anger and Fear," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 445-463, August.
    6. Sean Valentine & Gary Fleischman & Lynn Godkin, 2018. "Villains, Victims, and Verisimilitudes: An Exploratory Study of Unethical Corporate Values, Bullying Experiences, Psychopathy, and Selling Professionals’ Ethical Reasoning," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 135-154, March.
    7. Huai-Liang Liang, 2024. "Linking Paternalistic Leadership to Employee Inauthentic Behavior: The Role of Psychological Strain Process," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, May.
    8. Zhe Zhang & Yating Hu & Juan Wang, 2025. "Blessing or Curse? Role of Socially Responsible Human Resource Management in Employee Resilience," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 198(1), pages 177-197, April.
    9. Tardy, Olivia & Lenglos, Christophe & Lai, Sandra & Berteaux, Dominique & Leighton, Patrick A., 2023. "Rabies transmission in the Arctic: An agent-based model reveals the effects of broad-scale movement strategies on contact risk between Arctic foxes," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 476(C).
    10. Muel Kaptein, 2015. "The Effectiveness of Ethics Programs: The Role of Scope, Composition, and Sequence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 415-431, December.
    11. Jascha-Alexander Koch & Jens Lausen & Moritz Kohlhase, 2021. "Internalizing the externalities of overfunding: an agent-based model approach for analyzing the market dynamics on crowdfunding platforms," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 91(9), pages 1387-1430, November.
    12. Crevier, Lucas Phillip & Salkeld, Joseph H & Marley, Jessa & Parrott, Lael, 2021. "Making the best possible choice: Using agent-based modelling to inform wildlife management in small communities," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 446(C).
    13. Moritz Kersting & Andreas Bossert & Leif Sörensen & Benjamin Wacker & Jan Chr. Schlüter, 2021. "Predicting effectiveness of countermeasures during the COVID-19 outbreak in South Africa using agent-based simulation," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-15, December.
    14. Xue Tong Dong & Yang Woon Chung & Jeong Kwon Yun, 2023. "The Mediating Effects of Anxiety and Happiness and the Moderating Effect of Social Network Services for Employee Silence and Psychological Withdrawal Behavior," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    15. Claudia Dislich & Elisabeth Hettig & Jan Salecker & Johannes Heinonen & Jann Lay & Katrin M Meyer & Kerstin Wiegand & Suria Tarigan, 2018. "Land-use change in oil palm dominated tropical landscapes—An agent-based model to explore ecological and socio-economic trade-offs," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, January.
    16. Dur, Gaël & Won, Eun-Ji & Han, Jeonghoon & Lee, Jae-Seong & Souissi, Sami, 2021. "An individual-based model for evaluating post-exposure effects of UV-B radiation on zooplankton reproduction," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 441(C).
    17. Medeiros-Sousa, Antônio Ralph & Lange, Martin & Mucci, Luis Filipe & Marrelli, Mauro Toledo & Grimm, Volker, 2024. "Modelling the transmission and spread of yellow fever in forest landscapes with different spatial configurations," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 489(C).
    18. Watson, Joseph W & Boyd, Robin & Dutta, Ritabrata & Vasdekis, Georgios & Walker, Nicola D. & Roy, Shovonlal & Everitt, Richard & Hyder, Kieran & Sibly, Richard M, 2022. "Incorporating environmental variability in a spatially-explicit individual-based model of European sea bass✰," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 466(C).
    19. Anshuka Anshuka & Floris F. Ogtrop & David Sanderson & Simone Z. Leao, 2022. "A systematic review of agent-based model for flood risk management and assessment using the ODD protocol," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(3), pages 2739-2771, July.
    20. Kjær, Lene J. & Schauber, Eric M., 2022. "The effect of landscape, transmission mode and social behavior on disease transmission: Simulating the transmission of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 472(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:199:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-024-05861-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.