Success factors for effective workplace bullying interventions: a scoping review

Purpose The study aimed to comprehensively review the existing evaluated interventions on preventing workplace bullying and provide recommendations on the success factors for designing effective workplace bullying interventions. Design/methodology/approach We used a scoping review framework (PRISMA-ScR) to explore, identify and shortlist a range of articles evaluating workplace bullying interventions. Specifically, this review examined the content and relative effectiveness of workplace bullying interventions related to their design and implementation. Findings The study has found that no one specific intervention type consistently produced the desired outcome. However, interventions that are multifaceted, multi-level, focused on the organisational level, owned by organisations, led by a champion within the organisation and of a longer duration are more likely to be effective. Practical implications An important contribution of the present study is to highlight the common success factors present in the majority of effective workplace bullying intervention studies, including senior management support and engagement, tailoring to the organisational context, and worker engagement and participation. The findings of the study provide practical implications for human resource (HR) practices when designing effective workplace bullying interventions. Originality/value This paper contributes to the small but growing body of literature that has sought to identify effective approaches to prevent workplace bullying.