Monday December 10, 2012 How to understand and handle the
workplace bully PSYCHOLOGIST Karen Goonting shares some
information on the kind of personality / problems that make
someone a bully, and offers advice on how to handle the matter
if you are the target of one. 1. Why bully? 1.1. There are
several reasons from different perspectives that influence
workplace bullying: a. Personality – personality disorders or
psychological problems b. Organisational norms; or c. Stressful
work environments A. Personality Disorders Psychopathy:
Consulting organisational psychologists in the United States
have found that workplace bullies often have issues with social
functioning, a distorted sense of reality, and lack skills for
anger management. They react aggressively when provoked or when
they think they have been insulted. What is worrying is that
such traits are difficult to identify in the typical hiring and
promotion process unless a psychological test is administered
(which most companies do not do). These types ar