Workplace bullying encompasses subtle and/or obvious negative behaviours embodying aggression, hostility, intimidation and harm. Generally characterized by persistence, these unwelcome acts are displayed by an individual and/or group to another individual and/or group at work, privately and/or publicly, in real and/or virtual forms (D’Cruz, 2015). Alternatively known as workplace emotional abuse or workplace harassment (and referred to as such henceforth), workplace bullying falls under the rubric of dysfunctional and counterproductive workplace behaviours (Fox and Spector, 2005) and is captured by metaphors of nightmares, demons, slaves and heart-brokenness (Tracy et al., 2006) which underscore its unbelievable, demoralizing, humiliating and damaging nature (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2005). It is not surprising, then, that workplace bullying is described as unethical behaviour which goes against universal social rules of acceptability (Ramsay et al., 2011).
