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Navigating Power and Pain: Lived Experiences of Workplace Bullying in Nigerian Organizations
- Ogheneovo Ese
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Abstract
Workplace bullying poses serious threats to employee well-being and organizational productivity. In Nigeria, it remains an under-researched yet pervasive issue affecting professionals across sectors. Thus, this study explores the lived experiences of Nigerian professionals who have experienced or witnessed workplace bullying, with attention to psychological impact, coping mechanisms, and perceived organizational responses. Methodologically, an approach centered on human experience was used, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 participants from healthcare, education, banking, and civil service sectors. Thematic analysis was employed to identify core themes. Consequently, four main themes emerged: emotional distress and trauma, silence and isolation, power dynamics and hierarchy, and resilience and coping strategies. Participants expressed both vulnerability and agency in navigating toxic work environments. The study reveals bullying as an interaction shaped by cultural context, influenced by power distance and organizational silence. Interventions must go beyond policy to include education, cultural reorientation, and psychological support systems. This research contributes to the limited body of qualitative data on workplace bullying in Nigeria and calls for systemic change that is both policy-driven and culturally sensitive.
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Ogheneovo Ese
PGDE, MSc Media Studies, Research Officer with the Initiative for Cognitive Therapy and Mental Health (ICTMH), Abuja, Nigeria