Research into Workplace Bullying in Academia

This message has been approved by AUS Council for distribution to all AUS members across the country. The following information sheet describes the research project and provides access to the anonymous online survey being conducted by one of our members from the Massey University College of Education.


Workplace Bullying in Academia

INFORMATION SHEET

Massey University College of Education
Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North

My name is Juliana Raskauskas and I am a Lecturer at Massey University, College of Education. You are being invited to participate in an anonymous research study I am conducting on bullying in the university workplace. AUS has agreed to send you this message with link to an on-line survey about workplace bullying on my behalf, however this is not research being conducted by AUS. Participation from both those with experiences of workplace bullying and those without are needed to gain a complete picture of workplace bullying in academia.

From this study I hope to learn about the prevalence of workplace bullying in academia and negative affects associated with it. It is hoped that this information might be instrumental in guiding anti-bullying policy development within the university environment as well as larger New Zealand workforce legislation.

Participation is completely voluntary. Your completion of the survey implies consent. If interested in participating, please follow this link.

Participant Recruitment

All members of AUS will be invited to participate in this research. If you have non-member colleagues who are interested in participating please forward this e-mail message to them. It is anticipated that approximately 6,500 staff from New Zealand universities will be approached for participation in this study.

It is possible that you will not benefit directly by participating in this study, however information gained may be used to inform policy and training to address workplace bullying in academia. On-line surveys are being used to protect your identify and no identifying information is included in the survey. There are almost no risks to you for participating in this study; one possible risk is discomfort in answering questions about workplace bullying.

Project Procedures

These data will be used to report on the prevalence and outcomes of workplace bullying within the academic setting. Your name will not be associated with the answers you provide and the dataset is password protected. Scores will be reported as aggregate responses and may be used for conferences or in research articles. A report of aggregate findings will be circulated at the end of the data analyses. At the close of the research the data file will be stored on a password protected CD in a locked filing cabinet.

Participant Involvement

If you elect to participate you will be asked to complete an on-line survey. The on-line survey will be available for 30 days. The survey will take approximately 5-15 minutes for you to complete depending on the extent of your experiences with workplace bullying.

Participant’s Rights

You are under no obligation to accept this invitation. Completion of the questionnaire implies consent. You have the right to decline to answer any particular question.

Support Processes

This survey asks you to recall personal experiences with workplace bullying. If the process of answering these items causes you any discomfort or if you would like to talk about your own experiences with these items, counseling services are available through your university.

Project Contacts

If you have any questions about this research project please contact the primary researcher, Juliana Raskauskas, who will answer them at: Massey University, Department of Health & Human Development, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, telephone 06 356-9099 ext. 8621, or by e-mail.

This project has been reviewed and approved by the Massey University Human Ethics Committee, Wellington Application 05/52. If you have any concerns about the ethics of this research, please contact Professor Sylvia V. Rumball, Chair, Massey University Campus Human Ethics Committee: WGTN, telephone 06 350 5249, or by email.