Workplace Bullying: Psychological Mechanisms, Existential Impact, Organizational and Social Dynamics

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite submissions for the forthcoming Special Issue titled “Workplace Bullying: Psychological Mechanisms, Existential Impact, Organizational and Social Dynamics” attempts to investigate the broad and significant effects of workplace bullying on targets, families, organizations, and society at large.

In light of recent declarations by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), workplace bullying and its psychosocial outcomes have been officially recognized as global health issues. These organizations emphasize that safe and dignified working conditions are essential for mental well-being, social cohesiveness, and sustained productivity.

This Special Issue aims to explore the human cost of workplace bullying, considering it not only as a violation of organizational ethics, but also as a profound existential and social threat. Workplace bullying undermines a target’s sense of identity, belonging, and meaning. It fractures their relationship with themselves, with others, and with the wider world.

We invite submissions for the forthcoming Special Issue exploring the multifaceted phenomenon of workplace bullying through psychological, existential, social, and, organizational lenses, including theoretical papers that enhance conceptual frameworks for understanding and addressing workplace bullying; empirical studies employing quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods to test interventions or explore antecedents and outcomes; case studies providing in-depth analyses of practical applications and organizational responses; comprehensive review articles synthesizing existing research and identifying future directions; as well as practice-oriented reports sharing best practices, program evaluations, or policy analyses relevant to bullying prevention and intervention. Interdisciplinary collaboration and practice-informed perspectives are strongly encouraged.

The scope of the Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Workplace bullying as an existential threat: loss of meaning and identity
• The traumatizing effects of workplace bullying on targets, families, and witnesses
• Coping strategies and post-traumatic growth following workplace bullying
• Mental health and occupational outcomes related to bullying exposure
• Mediators, moderators, and resilience factors mitigating or exacerbating bullying impacts
• Silent complicity: workplace bullying as a symptom of social and existential collapse
• Organizational ramifications of workplace bullying and its enduring impacts on sustainability
• Cross-cultural perspectives and comparative studies on workplace bullying dynamics
• Psychological approaches: coaching and counseling support for targets
• Organizational responses including HR strategies, reporting systems, culture-building, and training programs
• Emerging trends and future directions in workplace bullying research

We look forward to your valuable contributions to this timely and important issue. All submissions will follow MDPI’s editorial process and rigorous peer-review standards.

Prof. Dr. Jale Minibas-Poussard
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Merits is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• workplace bullying
• mobbing
• workplace aggression
• harassment at work
• antecedents and outcomes of workplace bullying
• prevention and inverventions for workplace bullying