Exploring the nature and impact of workplace bullying perpetrated by senior school management towards post-level 1 to 3 educators in Cosmo City secondary schools, City of Johannesburg

Abstract

This study aims to explore the nature and impact of workplace bullying perpetrated by Senior School Management towards Post-level 1 to 3 educators in secondary schools of South Africa. A qualitative approach was adopted in this study to understand post-level 1 to 3 educators lived experience. In this study, semi-structured interviews through open-ended questions were adopted as a data collection tool. Furthermore, purposive and snowball sampling were employed to sample the participants. The research recruited 16 participants, eight females and eight males, from four public schools in the Cosmo City area. The criteria included eight post-level one educators, four post-level 2 educators, and four post-level 3 educators. Brain and Clarke’s thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Ethical considerations were considered, such as informed consent, which was given to grant permission from the participants. Anonymity, voluntary consideration, and confidentiality were considered. University of South Africa granted ethical clearance to conduct the research, and further approval was granted by the Gauteng Department of Education. The major findings revealed that post-level 1 to 3 educators are subjected to a wide range of workplace bullying, such as verbal intimidation, psychological manipulation, financial exploitation and sexual abuse. The study further revealed factors contributing to workplace bullying, which consisted of contextual variables, weak policies and reporting mechanisms, lack of job opportunities, limited legal remedies and strong competition for promotional posts. The study further revealed that workplace bullying is linked to financial, physical, and psychological impacts. Power Control Theory and Organizational Justice Theory, which describe how unequal power relations and views of justice influence behaviour within organisations, serve as the study's theoretical lens. These theories stress that workplace bullying by the Senior School Management is rooted in hierarchical power imbalances and reinforced by post-level 1 to 3 educators' experiences of unfair treatment. The findings support and expand on these theories, emphasising how both the perceived injustice and power control sustain bullying in school contexts. The results show the need for more enforcement of anti-bullying regulations and focused training for Senior School Managements to foster responsibility and moral leadership. Furthermore, it is advised that education departments should develop a zero-tolerance culture for workplace bullying in schools, increase monitoring and support systems for impacted post-level 1 to 3 educators, and establish clear reporting procedures. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the nature and impact of bullying perpetrated by Senior School Management towards Post-level 1 to 3 educators. The research recommended strategies that can be implemented by the Department of Education to develop efficient anti-bullying policies, the school to practice effective bullying mechanisms, and lastly, the education training institutions to establish teacher training workshops for recently hired educators to identify and deal with bullying in the workplace.