Nonprofit Organizational Assessment

When bullying happens at the highest levels, the effects may be far reaching. That
people may be bullied irrespective of their organisational status or rank, including senior
managers, indicates the possibility of a negative ripple effect, where bullying may be
cascaded downwards as the targeted supervisors might offload their own aggression on
their subordinates. In such situations, a bullying scenario in the boardroom may actually
threaten the productivity of the entire organisation.
Culture of Fear Type
Ashforth discussed potentially destructive sides of leadership and identified what he
referred to as petty tyrants, i.e. leaders who exercise a tyrannical style of management,
resulting in a climate of fear in the workplace. Partial or intermittent
negative reinforcement can create an effective climate of fear and doubt. When
employees get the sense that bullies "get away with it", a climate of fear may be the
result. Several studies have confirmed a relationship between bullying, on the one hand,
and an autocratic leadership and an authoritarian way of settling conflicts or dealing with
disagreements, on the other. An authoritarian style of leadership may create a climate
of fear, where there is little or no room for dialogue and where complaining may be
considered futile.
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