Mobbing: A characterization in Portuguese workers and its sociodemographic correlates

Abstract Mobbing is characterized by systematic offensive and reprehensible behaviors perpetrated by one or more individuals toward an individual worker and often has a negative impact on both the victim and the organization. There is a paucity of research examining this issue at a regional level (rural areas) in Portugal; therefore, this study aims to characterize mobbing in a sample of Portuguese workers and explore its relationships with sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, having children, length of service, rotational shift, extra training, level of education, leadership role, and activity sector). A total of455 workers (57.4% female) from São Miguel island (Azores) participated in this study, with ages between 18 and 71 years old ( M = 37.8, SD = 12.4). A sociodemographic questionnaire and the Portuguese Mobbing Scale (Vaz-Serra et al., 2005) were used. Results revealed that 19.1% of the sample was a victim of mobbing at least once a week. The higher percentages of mobbing in São Miguel island were found for the following dimensions: demands that affect health (8%), life situation offenses (6.9%) and professional quality offenses (3.4%). The male gender, younger age (i.e., 18-37), not having children, lower length of service (i.e., 1-11), rotational shift were associated with higher levels of mobbing victimization. There were no differences regarding extra training, level of education, leadership role, nor activity sector. These results highlight that some demographic groups are at increased risk for mobbing victimization. Thus, organizational leaders and psychologists that work in these contexts should pay particular attention to these groups and promote a positive work environment, including healthy relationships and job satisfaction.