Don’t Mess With Mama Bear: How Workplace Bullying Bystanders Find Meaning in Their Role

Workplace bullying is a widespread issue with nearly 80 million people in the U.S. affected. Bystanders (i.e., non-bullied witnesses), who can adopt constructive or destructive behaviors, become integral to the trajectory of bullying issues. This study uses a sensemaking in organizations theoretical framework to examine how workplace bullying bystanders in academia make sense of their position. Thirty-seven in-depth interviews and grounded theory data analysis were used to answer the research question: How do people make sense of their role as bystanders throughout workplace bullying processes? An additional bystander role was found, the target-bystander (those who experience both perspectives over time). Participants’ prior target experience heavily influenced their sensemaking as a protective bystander throughout two themes that arose from the data: organizational identity and backstage sensemaking. These findings add to bystander conceptualization and aid business professionals (e.g., supervisors, trainers, and human resources) in developing well-rounded intervention strategies.