ABSTRACT
Through the long history of higher education, bureaucratic structures have supported their functions and missions. As noted in the literature, the bureaucratic structure often relies on a hierarchal framework in which those at the top of the pyramid wield the most power. With power clustered at the top of an organizational chart, reasonably, one might believe that departments located closer to the top have more authority in creating change and intervention. Hence, the central research question for this chapter is “Are the instances of reported workplace bullying associated with the human resources department’s organizational placement in the institution?” With n = 165 for this analysis, a Chi-Square analysis confirmed a nominal difference in the number of workplace bullying complaints about institutions that had human resources departments that reported to the president when compared to human resources departments that reported to a vice president. The discussion and recommendations, with this finding in mind, suggest that while the organizational position of human resources departments is inconsequential, the emotional intelligence of executive leaders is probably more efficacious in attempts to quell workplace bullying in higher education.
