Mobbing is a destructive social process in which individuals, groups, or organizations target a person for ridicule, humiliation, and removal from the workplace. It can lead to deteriorating physical and mental health, workplace violence, and even suicide. Studies indicate that as many as 37% of American workers have experienced workplace abuse at some time in their working lives.
Overcoming Mobbing is an informative, comprehensive guidebook written for the victims of mobbing and their families who often can't make sense of the experience or mobilize resources for recovery. In an engaging, reader-friendly style, the book distinguishes mobbing from bullying in that it takes place within organizational or institutional settings and involves organizational dynamics. Mobbing is not about the occasional negative experience at work; it is ongoing negative acts, both overt and covert, over time, that erode workers' confidence in themselves and in their workplaces and that no amount of sophistication or maturity can make sense of. Duffy and Sperry, leading authorities on this special type of aggression, provide effective strategies for recovery from mobbing as well as for prevention, and they demystify the experience through the use of case vignettes. More than a simple self-help book, this volume brings the concept and terminology relating to mobbing into the public vocabulary by virtue of its strong foundation in psychological and organizational research. It offers a detailed presentation of the causes and consequences of mobbing, helps readers avoid falling into the trap of misplacing blame, and holds organizations at the center of responsibility for preventing the abuse. In addition to those who have experienced mobbing themselves, this book is an invaluable resource for workplace managers and human resources personnel who wish to prevent or reverse mobbing within their own professional settings.
Industry Reviews
"This is a very important and useful contribution to the literature on mobbing, bullying, and emotional abuse at work. Employee relations and mental health practitioners, mobbing targets and their families, scholars, and advocates alike will benefit from its command of the relevant research, on-the-ground understanding of the workplace, and practical application. I will be adding it with enthusiasm to my short list of recommended books on this topic." --
David C. Yamada, Professor of Law and Director, New Workplace Institute, Suffolk University Law School
"Duffy and Sperry demonstrate that mobbing is one dark side of organizational life. Interpersonal dynamics make it all too easy for an individual to become the object of in-group harassment, and if the organization's leadership is blind to the reality of mobbing, the stage is set for destructive results. This book provides a useful map of the territory and offers a practical view for assessing and managing mobbing as it occurs." -- Dr. Joseph Yeager,
SommerYeager, LLC, and Developer of the Sommer Survey (SommerYeager.com)
"Whatever the subject, the people most worth looking to for practical advice are those with the deepest, soundest, most thorough understanding of it. Duffy and Sperry demonstrated such understanding of workplace mobbing in their earlier, more theoretical book, Mobbing (OUP, 2012). The advice they offer here will be invaluable to mobbing targets, their family members and friends, indeed to anyone interested in fostering decency and fairness at work."
-- Kenneth Westhues, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Sociology & Legal Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada
"Mobbing is prevalent, abusive, and preventable. Duffy and Sperry explain clearly what mobbing is-and how employees, managers, and boards can challenge a widespread scourge that destroys lives and damages successful corporate cultures. If you care about the future of humanity and our economy, you should read this book." -- Eleanor Bloxham, CEO of The Value Alliance and Corporate Governance Alliance
"This book concentrates on mobbing in the workplace, but also discusses bullying since they are related aggressions. Of particular interest are chapters on mobbing recovery tools and suggestions for creating a healthy civil workplace. There are thorough notes for each chapter and an appendix lists useful websites. This is an impressive and insightful book. Highly recommended." --R. Davis, CHOICE
"Of particular interest are chapters on mobbing recovery tools and suggestions for creating a healthy civil workplace. There are thorough notes for each chapter and an appendix lists useful websites. This is an impressive and Insighful book. Highly recommended." --R. Davis, CHOICE Magazine
