Artful interventions for workplace bullying: exploring forum theatre

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the phenomenon of workplace bullying in response to recent calls for the development of different approaches and provide an exploration of artful approaches to intervention.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper offers a unique conceptualisation of workplace bullying and applies a phenomenological lens to the issue. A review of literature explores the potential value of artful interventions, and drawing on authors’ knowledge and experience with the targets of bullying, they design a forum theatre intervention for use in practice.

Findings

This paper argues that phenomenology offers a unique and valuable approach to understanding workplace bullying and its management. In turn, the authors propose that artful ways of engaging with workplace bullying could be an effective way of empowering workers in a “moment” of workplace bullying, and present a forum theatre workshop specifically designed for application in workplace contexts where bullying is prevalent. The three-phase workshop aims to help employees critically reflect on their current work practices and is intended for use in small group teaching.

Research limitations/implications

The long-term impact of this intervention has not been evaluated against more traditional methods of addressing this problem. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of this, and other art-based interventions, in workplace settings.

Originality/value

Workplace bullying research is predominantly conducted from a functionalist perspective, and other methods of inquiry, such as phenomenology, are rarely considered. This paper argues for artful interventions and provides an original, tailored workshop designed to empower employees to recognise and respond to bullying in the workplace.

Citation

Edwards, M. and Blackwood, K.M. (2017), "Artful interventions for workplace bullying: exploring forum theatre", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-05-2016-0035