Emotional Abuse at Work

Work environment issues: Emotional Abuse at Work

This session addresses different forms of emotional violences/violations at work and how these could be prevented. We define emotional abuse as a patterned and systematic maltreatment of the target, which can be work-task related (such as withholding information, ostracism, exclusion, belittlement of achievements), and/or personal (for example, gossiping, violent outbursts, ridiculing the target in front of others), which affects personal integrity and the sense of self as being a competent worker and a person.

Emotional abuse at work is gendered in multifaceted ways. The session will therefore focus on developing an intersectional approach to emotional abuse and non-physical aggression in working life contexts, while addressing the impact of emotional abuse on both organizational outcomes and personal well-being.

We argue that there is a need for developing new ethical practices to recognise and prevent complex and manifold violations at work, such as emotional abuse, non-verbal aggression and ostracism, which can be ‘subtle’ and often difficult to track. We emphasize the importance of recognizing and identifying the triggers and early warning signs of violence(s) in order to prevent workplace relationships from becoming abusive. Understanding and revealing of such mechanisms, patterns and behaviours is an important part for the creation of socially and economically sustainable working life.

We invite theoretical and empirical papers that address in particular emotional abuse, violence(s)/violations and exclusions in workplaces. The range of possible topics can include, but is not limited to, the following themes from the perspective of working life:
• gender and workplace abuses, violations and bullying
• emotional abuse, group dynamics and power relations
• workforce diversity, intersectionality, exclusion/inclusion
• ostracism
• organizational practices causing demands and expectations that may lead to emotional abuse at work
• feminist research on violations/violence(s)
• methodologies to study workplace violations
• organizational resilience and corporate social responsibility in preventing abuse
• ethical leadership
Keywords: emotional abuse; gendered violences; intersectionality; feminist business ethics; well-being



Contact information:

Marjut Jyrkinen
Associate Professor in Work-life Equality and Gender Studies
Research Director of WeAll Consortium (weallfinland.fi)
University of Helsinki
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +358 50 318 5561

Elina Penttinen
Docent, University Lecturer
Gender Studies
University of Helsinki
Email: [email protected]