Bullies flourish in organisations that fail to distinguish between 'managing' and 'bullying'. It can happen in large and small organisations, and in so-called 'caring professions'.
The personality 'defects' of a bully, such as aggressiveness, sarcasm, anger and maliciousness, flourish in certain kinds of work culture, such as:
- in highly competitive or macho environments;
- in organisations undergoing radical change, or serious cuts;
- where there is a climate of job insecurity, especially where redundancies are threatened;
- under 'tough' and hierarchical styles of management;
- in 'command and control' structures where staff are not involved or consulted about decisions;
- where excessive demands are made on people; and
- where no procedures exist to tackle bullying.
