Invisible Threat: Reverse Mobbing in the Workplace and Manager Victimization
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36690/2674-5208-2026-1-116-128Keywords:
reverse mobbing, bottom-up bullying, workplace bullying, organizational behavior, manager well-being, workplace harassment, managerial victimization, organizational silence, toxic leadership, burnout, cyberbullyingAbstract
Workplace bullying, characterized by repeated negative interactions and a significant power imbalance, seriously threatens employees' career development and mental health. While traditional mobbing is generally associated with superiors targeting subordinates, "reverse mobbing" or upward bullying represents a critical, yet insufficiently researched, phenomenon where subordinates systematically target their managers. This study aims to examine the nature, causes, consequences, and coping strategies of reverse mobbing within an organizational context from a holistic perspective. Reverse mobbing differs from traditional mobbing in terms of hierarchical direction, power sources, and methods of application. While traditional mobbing relies on formal authority, reverse mobbing utilizes indirect power tactics such as collective action, information concealment, social exclusion, and cyberbullying. This phenomenon has largely remained invisible in academic literature due to the traditional positioning of the manager figure as possessing power. Various factors contribute to the emergence of reverse mobbing, including high task dependency, organizational silence, ineffective leadership styles, and digitalization. Its consequences are devastating at both individual and organizational levels. Victimized managers experience decreased emotional well-being, increased burnout, and a stronger inclination to leave their jobs. At the organizational level, corporate mission is compromised, productivity declines, and labor peace is being disrupted. Effective intervention requires multi-dimensional approaches, including clear anti-mobbing policies, transparent complaint procedures, anonymous evaluation mechanisms such as 360-degree feedback systems, and personal identity strengthening strategies for targeted managers. Future research is recommended to delve deeper into the cultural differences of reverse mobbing and its manifestations in the digital environment.
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