This study employs a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to explore organizational awareness of workplace bullying in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from the perspective of HR managers. Quantitative data were collected using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) administered to 171 employees across several organizations and analyzed descriptively. These findings were subsequently used as a contextual reference point in qualitative in-depth interviews with nine HR managers, during which aggregated results were discussed to explore interpretations of workplace bullying prevalence and organizational responses. Analysis suggests that 91.2% (n = 156) of participants reported exposure to severe bullying at their workplaces within the given time period of 6 months, with 60.2% of respondents endorsing being bullied “from time to time” based on a stand-alone direct question. The qualitative analysis revealed 2 main themes: (1) Workplace bullying is often unrecognized, misinterpreted, harming employees and organizations, and (2) Managers expect employees to resolve conflicts, denying organizational responsibility for bullying. The implications and context of the findings are discussed.
Mukambetova et al. (Wed,) studied this question.