title: Managerial and Organizational Discourses of Workplace Bullying.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore how workplace bullying is addressed by hospital nursing unit managers and organizational policies.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Although workplace bullying is costly to organizations, nurses report that managers do not consistently address the issue.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used discourse analysis to analyze interview data and policy documents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were differences in the manner in which managers and the policy documents labeled bullying-type behaviors and discussed the roles and responsibilities of staff and managers. Policies did not clearly delineate how managers should respond to workplace bullying.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These differences can allow management variation, not sanctioned by policy. Unclear policy language can also offer insufficient guidance to managers, resulting in differential enforcement of policies.
authors: Author Affiliations: Assistant Professor (Dr Johnson), University of Washington Tacoma; Associate Professor (Drs Boutain and Tsai), University of Washington, Seattle; and Associate Professor (Dr de Castro), University of Washington Bothell.
authors: Susan L
authors: SL
authors: Johnson
authors: Doris M
authors: DM
authors: Boutain
authors: Jenny H-C
authors: JH
authors: Tsai
authors: Arnold B
authors: AB
authors: de Castro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D058445:Bullying; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D024382:Professional Role; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration*; D064450:Workplace Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*