- 6109906588
Leah P . Hollis
The Pennsylvania State University, Education and Policy Studies, Department Member
- Boston University, Center for Character and Social Responsibility, Department MemberMorgan State University, Department of Advanced Studies, Policy and Leadership, Faculty Member, and 2 moreadd
- Dr. Leah Hollis, professor and associate dean at Pennsylvania State University, is a healthy workplace advocate who s... moreDr. Leah Hollis, professor and associate dean at Pennsylvania State University, is a healthy workplace advocate who speaks nationally and internationally on diversity on workplace bullying. Some of her venues have included Oxford University, University of Milan, Cornell University, and the California State system. In the Fall of 2018, she also presented a paper a the University of New-York, Prague, CZ. Her work has helped over 175 colleges and universities through keynote speeches, workshops and webinars. Also, her work has been featured in University Business, Inside Higher Education, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. She has also presented training for HERC, and the American Council on Education (ACE). Feel encouraged to reach her at www.diversitytrainingconsultants.comedit
D uring the Thanksgiving 2023 holiday, academics and Americans alike enjoyed a much-needed respite from our harried lives. However, in our increasingly interconnected global society, not everyone enjoyed a peaceful week. I am referring to... more
D uring the Thanksgiving 2023 holiday, academics and Americans alike enjoyed a much-needed respite from our harried lives. However, in our increasingly interconnected global society, not everyone enjoyed a peaceful week. I am referring to the impact of the Hamas terrorist group that attacked the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. According to ABC News, Hamas murdered more than 1,200 people and injured another 6,900 (Frayer 2023). An additional 200 to 250 people were taken hostage. To be clear, El Deeb (2023) wrote, "The group [Hamas] was founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, [and] has vowed to annihilate Israel and has been responsible for many suicide bombings and other deadly attacks on civilians and Israeli soldiers. The U.S. State Department has designated Hamas a terrorist group in 1997. The European Union and other Western countries also consider it a terrorist organization." Faculty and academics are continuously left contemplating how to react or respond to a wartime crisis that envelopes campus colleagues and students. The seven-day ceasefire in late November 2023 led to the release of hostage Abigail Edan. She is a beautiful, bright-eyed little Jewish girl who saw her mother murdered and then fled to her father, who was gunned down while she was in his arms. According to news reports, she crawled out from under his bloody body and ran to a house, only to be among those taken hostage. Abigail's horrendous story and those of others taken hostage are juxtaposed with hate crimes against both Palestinians and Jews in the United States. Fall break ended with three Palestinian twentyyear-old men, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed, being gunned down in an apparent hate crime just outside the University of Vermont. They were simply taking a quiet walk while donning a keffiyeh, the traditional Middle Eastern black-and-white checkered scarf. Amid generational trauma that affects the Jewish and Palestinian communities, academic communities scramble to offer a response. With powerful donors pulling support from Harvard University and The University of Pennsylvania because they claim universities are tiptoeing through their institutional response to Hamas, academics from adjuncts to associate provosts generally feel they must walk a tightrope in conversations about the October terrorist attacks that instigated the Israel-Hamas War (Meyersohn 2023). On campus, academics are faced with navigating Israeli and Palestinian perspectives. The post-World War II 1948 creation of Israel is at the inception of such multiple realities, with the Arabs rejecting the two-state solution. A war ensued as Jews were motivated by their history in which six million Jews were slaughtered during
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Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to apply Albert Bandura’s findings of the Bobo Doll experiments to organizational behavior and workplace bullying in higher education. The Bandura social psychological experiments confirm that... more
Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to apply Albert Bandura’s findings of the Bobo Doll experiments to organizational behavior and workplace bullying in higher education. The Bandura social psychological experiments confirm that people who see aggression also need to witness an intervention to aggression to learn that the organization does not welcome aggression in their work environment. Background: By applying the Bandura experiment, the researcher shows how leadership can intervene to stop organizational aggression and abuse. Without leadership intervention, workplace bullying continues in higher education. Methodology: The researcher used a data set of 730 higher education professionals. The central research question: RQ Which personnel, bullied or not bullied, are more likely to report that no intervention was demonstrated in the organization’s response to reports of workplace bullying on campus? A chi-square analysis was used to examine if organizational inaction was mor...
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Workplace bullying impacts 58-62% of higher education faculty and administrators with the percentage being higher for underrepresented minority (URM) colleagues. I often serve as an educational consultant who has helped over 350 colleges... more
Workplace bullying impacts 58-62% of higher education faculty and administrators with the percentage being higher for underrepresented minority (URM) colleagues. I often serve as an educational consultant who has helped over 350 colleges and universities cope with workplace bullying, microaggressions, and discrimination. In turn, I am in a rare position to follow the experiences of Ridley Price, a URM professor who endured malicious bullying for over six years. Meanwhile, their institution sat idly by and enabled the bullies. In this context, the narrative reflecting Ridley Price’s bullying and mobbing experiences embraces Freire’s theoretical approach regarding oppressed populations. The narrative
chronicles Professor Price’s protracted abuse, the institutional betrayal that enabled the bullies, and the impact on Ridley’s health. In addition to documenting the depth of Ridley’s bullying and harassment experiences, this narrative also includes practical strategies to offset the severe health problems which developed at the hands of the mob, identified as Dean Ty and Company.
chronicles Professor Price’s protracted abuse, the institutional betrayal that enabled the bullies, and the impact on Ridley’s health. In addition to documenting the depth of Ridley’s bullying and harassment experiences, this narrative also includes practical strategies to offset the severe health problems which developed at the hands of the mob, identified as Dean Ty and Company.
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Workplace bullying has a detrimental effect on employees, yet few studies have examined its impact on personnel in American higher education administration. Therefore, two central research questions guided this study: (a) What is the... more
Workplace bullying has a detrimental effect on employees, yet few studies have examined its impact on personnel in American higher education administration. Therefore, two central research questions guided this study: (a) What is the extent of workplace bullying in higher education administration? and (b) What is the cost of workplace bullying specifically to higher education administration? Participants from 175 four-year colleges and universities were surveyed to reveal that 62% of higher education administrators had experienced or witnessed workplace bullying in the 18 months prior to the study. Race and gender were not parameters considered in the sample. A total of 401 ( n = 401) higher education respondents completed the instrument from various departments on a campus: academic affairs, student affairs, athletics, development/advancement, admissions/financial aid, information technology, arts faculty, sciences faculty, and executives. Employment disengagement served as the the...
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After touring Havana, Cuba, with a group of African American Scholars in the fall of 2019, I am inspired to identify the subtle and explicit racist experiences that we endured. A common message from those in the tourism industry is that... more
After touring Havana, Cuba, with a group of African American Scholars in the fall of 2019, I am inspired to identify the subtle and explicit racist experiences that we endured. A common message from those in the tourism industry is that Cubans love African Americans. This message was constant, yet it rang like a gong in our ears because the message did not match the treatment we received. In truth, this love was not for the African aspect of our identities but for the financial prosperity in the American part of our identities. The Cuban tour guide constantly announced the propaganda publicly that when Castro came to power in 1959 the government formally abolished racism. However, the undercurrent of racism saturated our visit. Proclaiming racism is abolished does not make it so; instead, the proclamation was an ostrich’s head in the sand. The obvious was ignored for the postulated utopian racial harmony indoctrination. Eradication of racism or other ‘isms’ involves a trajectory of ...
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In response to fluctuating budgets and enrollments, higher education has come to depend less on a full-time faculty and to rely increasingly on less expensive part-time faculty. Further,the House Committee (2014) reports that adjuncts are... more
In response to fluctuating budgets and enrollments, higher education has come to depend less on a full-time faculty and to rely increasingly on less expensive part-time faculty. Further,the House Committee (2014) reports that adjuncts are the majority of faculty across all sectors of higher education. Specifically, only 31.3% of public 2-year faculty members are full-time (Kezar & Maxey, 2013).Concurrently, the Obama administration recommended that 60% of Americans hold a degree by 2020; in turn, with less institutional commitment to fulltime faculty, adjuncts are the central teaching resource in the midst of achieving this national standard. Within this context, this study’s central question is “What is the significance of full-time faculty for community college student retention/graduation?” Individual bivariate correlation tests revealed a weak relationship yet no statistical significance between the percentage of full-time faculty and community college student retention and grad...
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This essay argues that while harassment and aggression are continually present in the postmodern cyberspace age, such behaviors have been present within humanity throughout both modern and postmodern periods. During modernity, a... more
This essay argues that while harassment and aggression are continually present in the postmodern cyberspace age, such behaviors have been present within humanity throughout both modern and postmodern periods. During modernity, a privileged few controlled expression and aggression. However, the postmodern period’s fractured state, which often sidesteps empathy and human frailty, has unleashed largely unfettered aggression en masse on the Internet. In short, many, not a privileged few, express aggression. This essay will consider some historical examples of controlled aggression in the modern period. Then the essay will compare how postmodern aggression is more prolific, as the public must witness and participate in aggressive, constant self-expression. Communication controls civilization, its rules and structures. Gurevitch and Blumler (1990) remarked that communication was structured by a few media outlets and manipulated by a web of powerful political and economic influences. Conse...
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Few studies have examined the extent of workplace bullying in American higher education; however, a 2012 study confirmed that 62% of respondents (n=401) were affected by workplace bullying 18 months prior to the study (Hollis 2012). A... more
Few studies have examined the extent of workplace bullying in American higher education; however, a 2012 study confirmed that 62% of respondents (n=401) were affected by workplace bullying 18 months prior to the study (Hollis 2012). A closer examination of the women respondents (n=281) revealed that 71% of the women in this subset faced workplace bullying. Women respondents were also more likely to seek structural solutions, such as reporting bullying to their immediate supervisors or human resources staff. Workplace bullying is couched in power. Those with power control tenure and promotion as well as resources; they can also hinder women from obtaining leadership positions. However, without policy or legislation, incivility is governed by the personal discretion of workplace leaders. As workplace bullying typically emerges from a power differential, Bolman and Deal’s (2013) theories regarding organizational structure and politics serve as the theoretical lens for this study. This ...
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According to Freud, civilization is meant to protect humans from the forces of nature, to protect human frailty; but then, paradoxically, it falls short of such protection by its lack of concomitant regulation (1991). In fact, civilized... more
According to Freud, civilization is meant to protect humans from the forces of nature, to protect human frailty; but then, paradoxically, it falls short of such protection by its lack of concomitant regulation (1991). In fact, civilized service to society, delivered via organizations, creates strife and anxiety. While civilization is a structure created to protect people from nature and to support a frail humanity, its rules and power structures yield aggression, spawning the need for people to control each other (Freud & Strachey, 1991). Such control and the power structures that arise within organizations can be considered the root of workplace bullying, aggression, and incivility in our putatively civilized structures of work. Consequently, global researchers strive to make sense of incivility within civilization, a structure that generates aggravation although it was originally developed to provide protection. Northern Europeans have led research efforts to analyze the psycholog...
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IntroductionThe purpose of this paper is to compare the probable existence of two North American civilizations, Canada and the United States, and then consider how each civilization has addressed workplace bullying. Canada started to... more
IntroductionThe purpose of this paper is to compare the probable existence of two North American civilizations, Canada and the United States, and then consider how each civilization has addressed workplace bullying. Canada started to prohibit workplace bullying in 2004. However, the United States only began to address the problem ten years later, in 2014, with a few states passing statutes. Examining the differences in culture and the research on how higher education in both Canada and the United States has dealt with workplace bullying may give insights to how both Canada and the United States can better protect employees faced with workplace bullying.Brief Definition of CivilizationMany varying and competing definitions of the controversial concept of 'civilization' exist in the literature. However, Permumpanani (2013), writing with the Comparative Civilization Review, defined civilization as a "dynamic system that supports endogenous cultural development through econ...
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I am pleased to bring this special edition o Title IX and Black women to fruition for the 50th anniversary of Title IX. This legislation has empowered millions of women in sports and cultivated a more in-depth interest for women in the... more
I am pleased to bring this special edition o Title IX and Black women to fruition for the 50th anniversary of Title IX. This legislation has empowered millions of women in sports and cultivated a more in-depth interest for women in the STEM field. As I reflect on Title IX and other legislation designed to provide equal rights or women, I will also grapple with the new challenge to Title IX, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization law suit which led to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and women's federally protected reproductive rights in the June 2022. Though women have made strides in college sports participation, the threat to reproductive rights will disproportionately compromise low income college age women who strive to enhance their social economic class through education.
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School-level bullying and workplace bullying are globally recognized as threats to organizational productivity, emotional safety, psychological wellness, and overall morale. Consequently, some countries have instituted legislation to... more
School-level bullying and workplace bullying are globally recognized as threats to organizational productivity, emotional safety, psychological wellness, and overall morale. Consequently, some countries have instituted legislation to prohibit bullying at various levels in society. This essay will proceed from two vantage points. First, workplace bullying will be addressed, considering the cost to organizations and individuals. Second, school bullying will be addressed with an examination of the bully as a threat to the school's reputation and individual student welfare. Further, cyberbullying affects both children and adults. Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to consider policy development for international leaders who are managing both students and professional educators.
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The COVID-19 pandemic, which started compromising education in March 2020, precipitated the most extreme educational disruption in over a century. For over 2 years,all levels of education shuttered in-person educational delivery and... more
The COVID-19 pandemic, which started compromising education in March 2020, precipitated the most extreme educational disruption in over a century. For over 2 years,all levels of education shuttered in-person educational delivery and instituted online education. Many faculty members were teaching online for the first time and thus were distracted by the stress of switching instructional modalities. Students found themselves in a panic-filled transition in which they had little guidance for how to engage with online education as their faculty struggled. One of the residual impacts of this abrupt shift was the explosion in contract cheating, in which students pay a third party to complete homework assignments, take exams, and compose papers. The contract cheating issue is a global problem, with institutions reporting double- and triple-digit spikes in online cheating as the pandemic ensued. Additionally, some of the literature confirms that contract cheating does not meet cheaters’ objectives, given the substandard and tardy work that is often produced. Therefore, this chapter will examine not only the proliferation of contract cheating during the pandemic but other critical elements that result in unfortunate residuals. Plagiarism, academic misconduct, and online cheating, including colleges and universities revoking degrees, led to legal actions. Further, while affluent students and their parents may seek out and purchase ghost students’ services, students with less money find themselves unwittingly competing inequitable conditions.
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Workplace bullying is most like a prolonged, intractable, escalating destructive conflict between people with a power differential (Keashly et al., 2020), the most difficult of conflicts to manage and resolve. It is grounded in and fueled... more
Workplace bullying is most like a prolonged, intractable, escalating destructive conflict between people with a power differential (Keashly et al., 2020), the most difficult of conflicts to manage and resolve. It is grounded in and fueled by the organization through its policies, practices, procedures, work structure, and labor relations; in essence, workplace bullying is reflective of organizational culture and climate. Thus, while bullying may manifest at the interpersonal level, it is a systemic organizational issue. The approach for addressing bullying thus needs to recognize this embedded and progressive nature, be multi-faceted and involve a coordinated and simultaneous purposeful effort at the individual, unit/team, and organizational levels. A proactive and comprehensive approach to addressing workplace bullying is critical and urgent and a conflict management system perspective is useful in this consideration. In this chapter, we offer a brief primer on the nature and dynamics of workplace bullying. We then take an organization-level perspective on approaches for possible resolution, highlighting the critical role of policy design and implementation.
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With gendered organization theory and n = 201 Historically Black Colleges and Universities women faculty, the following is addressed: RQ1 Which Historically Black Colleges and University women faculty, those at schools with or without an... more
With gendered organization theory and n = 201 Historically Black Colleges and Universities women faculty, the following is addressed: RQ1 Which Historically Black Colleges and University women faculty, those at schools with or without an antibullying policy, are more likely to report workplace bullying? RQ2 What is the relationship between workplace bullying intensity and time spent strategizing against bullying, health problems, and organizational distrust for Historically Black Colleges and University women faculty? RQ3 How does workplace bullying affect the experiences of Historically Black Colleges and University women faculty? The mixed methods findings confirm the need for preventative structural changes policies to empower women.
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Congratulations class of 2023! Time flies… 25 years ago I sat where you are now, contemplating what my shiny new degree from Boston University could do. We have a long line of distinguished alums, whether Martin Luther King, Geena Davis,... more
Congratulations class of 2023! Time flies… 25 years ago I sat where you are now, contemplating what my shiny new degree from Boston University could do. We have a long line of distinguished alums, whether Martin Luther King, Geena Davis, Bill Duke, and current Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Boston Terriers have reached all sectors of our global community. We have alum in film and literature. Several Boston University alums are politicians and ambassadors. Others are stewards of business or at the helm of multinational corporations. However, there is one thing common about ALL of these people… I will say is it the same thing in common about ALL the people within the sound of my voice… and millions more not in the sound of my voice. ALL of these people had their lives touched in a significant way… by educators. Whether you intend for your degree to lead you to teaching, administration, policy
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The COVID-19 pandemic, which started compromising education in March 2020, precipitated the most extreme educational disruption in over a century. For over 2 years, all levels of education shuttered in-person educational delivery and... more
The COVID-19 pandemic, which started compromising education in March
2020, precipitated the most extreme educational disruption in over a century. For over 2 years, all levels of education shuttered in-person educational delivery and instituted online education. Many faculty members were teaching online for the first time and thus were distracted by the stress of switching instructional modalities. Students found themselves in a panic-filled transition in which they had little guidance for how to engage with online education as their faculty struggled. One of the residual impacts of this abrupt shift was the explosion in
contract cheating, in which students pay a third party to complete homework assignments, take exams, and compose papers. The contract cheating issue is a global problem, with institutions reporting double- and triple-digit spikes in online cheating as the pandemic ensued.
2020, precipitated the most extreme educational disruption in over a century. For over 2 years, all levels of education shuttered in-person educational delivery and instituted online education. Many faculty members were teaching online for the first time and thus were distracted by the stress of switching instructional modalities. Students found themselves in a panic-filled transition in which they had little guidance for how to engage with online education as their faculty struggled. One of the residual impacts of this abrupt shift was the explosion in
contract cheating, in which students pay a third party to complete homework assignments, take exams, and compose papers. The contract cheating issue is a global problem, with institutions reporting double- and triple-digit spikes in online cheating as the pandemic ensued.
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Throughout the 2020 election, a constant question arose, “How can they vote for Trump?” Within the context of tribalism and the disenfranchised status created by the deteriorated blue-collar job market, I reflect on labor history to... more
Throughout the 2020 election, a constant question arose, “How can they vote for Trump?” Within the context of tribalism and the disenfranchised status created by the deteriorated blue-collar job market, I reflect on labor history to explain how those who are denied affordable education are left out of the American dream. This trend disproportionately affects the Black community. In turn, these populations potentially remain reminiscent of how America was great for them in the past. Supported by descriptive statistics, I reflect on the educational line in red and contested states during the 2020 presidential election. The paper concludes with the recommendation that higher education must be affordable to help communities transcend the dream of manufacturing but instead embrace a well-informed position in supporting our democracy
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The Covid-19 pandemic created an indelible mark on K-12 education — specifically, high school students transitioning to college and career. The global scope of this pandemic presented an opportunity to compare how high school cultures... more
The Covid-19 pandemic created an indelible mark on K-12 education — specifically, high school students transitioning to college and career. The global scope of this pandemic presented an opportunity to compare how high school cultures across the world adapted to the emergency. Further, news reports highlighted how communities of color were more susceptible to the pandemic.
To better understand how the Black student experience in middle America compared to that of other students from the global community in responding to pandemic-related educational disruption, I used Krippendorff’s content analysis procedures (2018) and a phenomenological interview process to gather and analyze data from 17 Black American high school students and 35 teachers. The central research question was: What are the experiences of Black students in middle America regarding educational disruption when compared to the experiences of high school students in other countries? The findings revealed that globally both students and teachers were primarily
concerned with educational quality, teacher preparedness and substandard Internet service. Findings from twelve other countries confirmed that diminished Internet access and teacher unpreparedness were essential problems. However, Finnish districts which relied on government support seamlessly progressed through the interruptions in
March 2020.
To better understand how the Black student experience in middle America compared to that of other students from the global community in responding to pandemic-related educational disruption, I used Krippendorff’s content analysis procedures (2018) and a phenomenological interview process to gather and analyze data from 17 Black American high school students and 35 teachers. The central research question was: What are the experiences of Black students in middle America regarding educational disruption when compared to the experiences of high school students in other countries? The findings revealed that globally both students and teachers were primarily
concerned with educational quality, teacher preparedness and substandard Internet service. Findings from twelve other countries confirmed that diminished Internet access and teacher unpreparedness were essential problems. However, Finnish districts which relied on government support seamlessly progressed through the interruptions in
March 2020.
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The Covid-19 pandemic created an indelible mark on K-12 education — specifically, high school students transitioning to college and career. The global scope of this pandemic presented an opportunity to compare how high school cultures... more
The Covid-19 pandemic created an indelible mark on K-12 education — specifically, high school students transitioning to college and career. The global scope of this pandemic presented an opportunity to compare how high school cultures across the world adapted to the emergency. Further, news reports highlighted how communities of color were more susceptible to the pandemic.
To better understand how the Black student experience in middle America compared to that of other students from the global community in responding to pandemic-related educational disruption, I used Krippendorff’s content analysis procedures (2018) and a phenomenological interview process to gather and analyze data from 17 Black American high school students and 35 teachers. The central research question was: What are the experiences of Black students in middle America regarding educational disruption when compared to the experiences of high school students in other countries? The findings revealed that globally both students and teachers were primarily concerned with educational quality, teacher preparedness and substandard Internet service. Findings from twelve other countries confirmed that diminished Internet access and teacher unpreparedness were essential problems. However, Finnish districts which relied on government support seamlessly progressed through the interruptions in March 2020.
To better understand how the Black student experience in middle America compared to that of other students from the global community in responding to pandemic-related educational disruption, I used Krippendorff’s content analysis procedures (2018) and a phenomenological interview process to gather and analyze data from 17 Black American high school students and 35 teachers. The central research question was: What are the experiences of Black students in middle America regarding educational disruption when compared to the experiences of high school students in other countries? The findings revealed that globally both students and teachers were primarily concerned with educational quality, teacher preparedness and substandard Internet service. Findings from twelve other countries confirmed that diminished Internet access and teacher unpreparedness were essential problems. However, Finnish districts which relied on government support seamlessly progressed through the interruptions in March 2020.
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Book Review of Marybeth Gasman's DO THE RIGHT THING. This text explains the obstructions in diverse faculty hiring.
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Scholarly essay written for THE PEN, Division J of AERA
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Free speech is one of the cornerstones of higher education. Professors and other knowledge workers should have the freedom to speak reasonably and collegially about a wide range of topics, even if their ideas are controversial or... more
Free speech is one of the cornerstones of higher education. Professors and other knowledge workers should have the freedom to speak reasonably and collegially about a wide range of topics, even if their ideas are controversial or unpopular. However, just like any other tool, if misused, free speech can have results very different from those intended, restricting speech by silencing others. Workplace bullying, harassment, and hostile speech chill the environment and motivate those facing abuse to withhold valuable contributions. Stating that bullying and coercing others is one’s right as free speech is an excuse to sidestep the actions of the bully, instead of addressing the impact of bullying on the educational environment. This essay explores the right to free speech and its interplay with aggressive bullying speech. The discussion also reflects on how abusive free speech, whether in person or in cyberspace, hurts the academic environment and suppresses the expression of those it i...
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Sometimes, academic work in a field yields the necessity to expand existing theories. In such situations, modifying an idea requires an in-depth review. For instance, early studies about race tended to separate race from gender until the... more
Sometimes, academic work in a field yields the necessity to expand existing theories. In such situations, modifying an idea requires an in-depth review. For instance, early studies about race tended to separate race from gender until the mid-1980s when black women scholars called for new theories and a more comprehensive approach leading to intersectionality theories.
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American communities witness this colorism problem daily. Too often, music videos and movies telegraph the preference for light-skinned people. In a world where dark people were castigated and vilified, people with lighter skin... more
American communities witness this colorism problem daily. Too often, music videos and movies telegraph the preference for light-skinned people. In a world where dark people were castigated and vilified, people with lighter skin experienced more acceptance. However, the color-struck phenomena, or colorism, fosters degradation and misgivings that accompany skin tone bias. While dark-complected people were denied employment, housing, and common respect even within their families, light-skinned people passing for White also experienced existential threats. To be in a White society, passing as White, could result in disastrous consequences for the person passing. The light-skinned/ dark skin controversies continue to plague the Black community. Nella Larsen’s (2001) remarks from her book Passing elucidate the treachery for those using their skin tone to transcend color lines. “She wished to find out about this hazardous business of ‘passing,’ … not entirely strange, per- haps, but certainly not entirely friendly” (Larsen, 2001, p.186)
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I was a varsity high school and college athlete when Florence Griffith Joyner, Flo- Jo, was soaring into the zenith of her Olympic track and field career. She was strong, athletic, classy, and nontraditional with that one-legged running... more
I was a varsity high school and college athlete when Florence Griffith Joyner, Flo- Jo, was soaring into the zenith of her Olympic track and field career. She was strong, athletic, classy, and nontraditional with that one-legged running uniform. Coming of age, I appreciated Flo-Jo even if she represented another sport. Studies show that women who engage in sports are less likely to deal with dating violence or domestic violence, perhaps because they found their confidence through sport (Milner & Baker, 2017).
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Afterword From: Hollis, L. P. (2022). Black women, intersectionality and workplace bullying: Intersecting Distress. Routledge New York. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003187813/black-womenintersectionality-... more
Afterword From: Hollis, L. P. (2022). Black women, intersectionality and workplace bullying: Intersecting Distress. Routledge New York.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003187813/black-womenintersectionality-
workplace-bullying-leah-hollis
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003187813/black-womenintersectionality-
workplace-bullying-leah-hollis
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In 1993, Joycelyn Elders became the first Black woman to be appointed as the US Surgeon General, serving the Clinton administration. Growing up poor in Arkansas lead Elders to approach health issues within the Black community’s health... more
In 1993, Joycelyn Elders became the first Black woman to be appointed as the US Surgeon General, serving the Clinton administration. Growing up poor in Arkansas lead Elders to approach health issues within the Black community’s health issues with a no-nonsense and realistic approach, devoid of uninformed magical thinking. She is known for her unwavering commitment to truth through quotes like, “Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is about jobs and employment, education, the environment, and all of those things that go into making us healthy.” Though her honest and fact-based remarks about health, the AIDS epidemic, and sex education precipitated her untimely resignation from the Clinton administration, Elders remained a force in the Arkansas health community as a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
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Intersectionality studies often invoke Audre Lorde’s quote, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house” (1984). Lorde’s comments express that one cannot overcome the discrimination and oppression heaped upon people of... more
Intersectionality studies often invoke Audre Lorde’s quote, “The master’s tools will never
dismantle the master’s house” (1984). Lorde’s comments express that one cannot overcome the discrimination and oppression heaped upon people of color. While the BIPOC community should not adopt oppressive strategies the dominant culture uses, the BIPOC community should also claim its tools. So often, math proficiency is assigned to White and Asian scholars. However, the history below shows that mathematical reasoning did not originate with the current dominant culture, but instead its inception is among African counties. Those resisting oppression should know all tools available to them.
dismantle the master’s house” (1984). Lorde’s comments express that one cannot overcome the discrimination and oppression heaped upon people of color. While the BIPOC community should not adopt oppressive strategies the dominant culture uses, the BIPOC community should also claim its tools. So often, math proficiency is assigned to White and Asian scholars. However, the history below shows that mathematical reasoning did not originate with the current dominant culture, but instead its inception is among African counties. Those resisting oppression should know all tools available to them.
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Under a Creative Commons license Scientific stakeholders have a critical role in addressing academic harassment, defined as the repeated acts of discrimination, incivility, or various types of harassment and threats against a target, in a... more
Under a Creative Commons license Scientific stakeholders have a critical role in addressing academic harassment, defined as the repeated acts of discrimination, incivility, or various types of harassment and threats against a target, in a timely and effective manner. However, their limited coordinated actions created a safe environment for bullies
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More scholars are resisting discriminatory decisions in the tenure process. This brief op-ed looks at the role of the department chair and dean to mitigate these problems.
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Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the phenomena of vicarious bullying, or an abetting bully, when a bully’s subordinate is used to inflict abuse on the target. This study examines who is most affected by this... more
Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the phenomena of vicarious bullying, or an abetting bully, when a bully’s subordinate is used to inflict abuse on the target. This study examines who is most affected by this multi-faceted organizational abuse in American higher education. Background: Workplace bullying has received international attention. Recent studies in the United States have focused on workplace bullying in higher education. However, workplace bullying emerges from an elaborate social structure. This research article brings the unique perspective of vicarious bullying for analysis. Methodology: A data collection from 729 American higher education professionals was used to answer the following three research questions which were addressed in this study: RQ1: What is the overall prevalence of vicarious bullying in American higher education? RQ2: What is the likelihood of experiencing vicarious bullying in American higher education based on gender? RQ3: What is...
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Higher education institutions are not immune to workplace bullying. In fact, research shows that they can be virulent breeding grounds for a particularly pernicious form of bullying – one cloaked in popular perceptions of civility. In... more
Higher education institutions are not immune to workplace
bullying. In fact, research shows that they can be virulent breeding grounds for a particularly pernicious form of bullying – one cloaked in popular perceptions of civility. In higher education, bullying is even delegated to subordinates. However, because workplace bullying inhabits a grey legal
area, prosecuting cases is challenging. Dr Leah P Hollis at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ suggests we should re-examine the social
position of bullying from the perspective of the foremost authority on such matters: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
bullying. In fact, research shows that they can be virulent breeding grounds for a particularly pernicious form of bullying – one cloaked in popular perceptions of civility. In higher education, bullying is even delegated to subordinates. However, because workplace bullying inhabits a grey legal
area, prosecuting cases is challenging. Dr Leah P Hollis at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ suggests we should re-examine the social
position of bullying from the perspective of the foremost authority on such matters: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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HBCUs are often lauded as diverse and inclusive environments. However, trends in tenure appointments and lawsuits show that women are often discounted. This brief essay discusses some trends in tenure appointments and lawsuits which... more
HBCUs are often lauded as diverse and inclusive environments. However, trends in tenure appointments and lawsuits show that women are often discounted. This brief essay discusses some trends in tenure appointments and lawsuits which indicate that Black women are experiencing gender based inequities at HBCUs.
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Despite the profound academic and professional achievements among Black women, the intersection of race and gender in higher education remains inescapable. Black female tenure-track and tenured professors at predominantly white... more
Despite the profound academic and professional achievements among Black women, the intersection of race and gender in higher education remains inescapable. Black female tenure-track and tenured professors at predominantly white institutions(PWIs) commonly experience challenges; however, the challenges Black women confront at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are not publicly discussed. Using critical race and feminist theories, which is critical race feminism, the purpose of this study is to explore the intersections of race and gender among Black female tenure-track professors working at PWIs and HBCUs. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black female tenure-track and tenured professors at HBCUs and PWIs. The results highlight that Black women continue to experience exploitative and oppressive conditions regardless of their educational attainment, academic successes, or institutional locale.
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Th is non-traditional analysis of Black women and workplace bullying combines a qualitative narrative with Hurston's literary metaphor that Black women are the mules of the earth. Th e narrative provides a model for how a target of... more
Th is non-traditional analysis of Black women and workplace bullying combines a qualitative narrative with Hurston's literary metaphor that Black women are the mules of the earth. Th e narrative provides a model for how a target of workplace bullying can develop substitutes for the advanced needs described in Maslow's hierarchal pyramid. As a function of employment, faculty meet some of their basic needs with food, shelter, and sleep; however, they are robbed of their emotional and psychological needs at the top of Maslow's hierarchal pyramid. Consequently, the narrative yields a modifi ed hierarchy in which workplace bullying targets can fi nd praise, appreciation, and a sense-of-belonging by avoiding the typical isolation that target experience. Further, the narrative and subsequent amended hierarchal model off er social media strategies for targets to reclaim a sense of community oft en missing from hostile job environments created by workplace bullying.
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This policy brief offers a short discussion on how workplace bullying is a human rights violation when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered. Workplace bullying as an international issue should be prohibited. Higher... more
This policy brief offers a short discussion on how workplace bullying is a human rights violation when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered. Workplace bullying as an international issue should be prohibited. Higher education is particularly important in this context because there is a higher frequency of workplace bullying in higher education and higher education plausibly is in a viable position to end the lack of dignity experienced by those dealing with workplace bullying.
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The many faces of security include policy and the environment. This book chapter is an introductory analysis of international threats and security
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Throughout the 2020 election, a constant question arose, "How can they vote for Trump?" Within the context of tribalism and the disenfranchised status created by the deteriorated blue-collar job market, I reflect on labor history to... more
Throughout the 2020 election, a constant question arose, "How can they vote for Trump?" Within the context of tribalism and the disenfranchised status created by the deteriorated blue-collar job market, I reflect on labor history to explain how those who are denied affordable education are often excluded from the American dream. This trend disproportionately affects the Black community. In turn, this population potentially remains reminiscent of how America was supposedly 'great' for them in the industrial past. Supported by descriptive statistics, I reflect on the educational line in red GOP states and contested states during the 2020 presidential election. The article concludes with the recommendation that higher education must be affordable to help communities transcend the dream of manufacturing for survival, but instead embrace education as a well-informed position in supporting themselves and our democracy.
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This essay offers a historical education on intersectionality, before the dawn of Title VII and Title IX. In a world before pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment protections, and laws supporting fair housing, a Black woman, who was... more
This essay offers a historical education on intersectionality, before the dawn of Title VII and Title IX. In a world before pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment protections, and laws supporting fair housing, a Black woman, who was often silenced and deemed disreputable, primarily had her cunning, wit, and resolve to either acquiesce or resist unwelcome advances or circumstances. I resisted. In this current #MeToo and #TimesUp climate, women are marching, fighting, even suing for their rights. In this historical moment in 2021, with New York Governor Cuomo resigning his post in response to multiple complaints regarding sexual harassment, Cosby's release despite several women coming forward about sexual harassment, Weinstein in Los Angeles to sexual harassment charges, and recent testimony from elite gymnasts' complaints about Dr. Larry Nassar at Michigan State were ignored by the FBI, I reflect on my Jim Crow coming-of-age. Women must continue their fight to be free of sexual aggression in society. Therefore, the purpose of this essay is to offer a historical 2 perspective to document improvements in addressing sexual assault yet recognize from news stories of the last year that there is still much work before us.
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Psychologists and sociologists have considered the types of leadership and organizational power used to manage and even control employees, communities, and institutions (Raven, 1958). When such dynamics emerge in the comics read across... more
Psychologists and sociologists have considered the types of leadership and organizational power used to manage and even control employees, communities, and institutions (Raven, 1958). When such dynamics emerge in the comics read across the globe, even those authors caution their protagonists and superheroes to “use power for good not evil…;” yet after reading the articles for this edition, I recognize that the Covid-19 pandemic has re-exposed global power structures and differentials. These power structures have either been used for the good of the people, or for evil to exacerbate the harmful experiences felt by disenfranchised populations.
The Covid-19 global has exposed another pandemic, that of racism. As a result, Chinese citizens throughout the global community have faced bullying and malice. Bullying is a global problem; in this case the international community has... more
The Covid-19 global has exposed another pandemic, that of racism. As a result, Chinese citizens throughout the global community have faced bullying and malice. Bullying is a global problem; in this case the international community has concentrated its collective anxiety about Covid-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, to discriminate against those of Chinese descent. Therefore, this short essay reflects on some historical and psychological underpinning which inform the cruelty and blame ascribed to many Chinese people during this unprecedented public health emergency.
Black Women, lntersectionality, and Workplace Bullying extends and enriches the current literature on workplace bullying by examining specifically how work abuse disproportionality hurts women of color, affecting their mental health... more
Black Women, lntersectionality, and Workplace Bullying extends and enriches the current literature on workplace bullying by examining specifically how work abuse disproportionality hurts women of color,
affecting their mental health negatively and hence their career progression. In this interdisciplinary text, Hollis combines the fields of intersectionality and workplace bullying to present a balanced offering of conceptual essays and empirical research studies. The chapters explore how researchers have previously used empirical studies to address race and gender before arguing that the more complex an identity or intersectional position, such as being a Black gender fluid woman, the more likely a person shall experience workplace bullying. The author also looks at how this affects Black women's mental health, such as through increased anxiety, depression, insomnia, and self-medicating behaviors, before looking specifically at Black female athletes as a study, the topic of colorism at work and its impact on Black women, and how workplace bullying compromises organizations diversity and inclusion initiatives.
This book will be of immense interest to graduate students and academics in the fields of social work, ethnic studies, Black studies, Africana studies, gender studies, political science, sociology, psychology, and social justice. It will also be of interest to those interested in intersectionality and how this relates to race and gender of women.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003187813/black-women-intersectionality-workplace-bullying-leah-hollis
affecting their mental health negatively and hence their career progression. In this interdisciplinary text, Hollis combines the fields of intersectionality and workplace bullying to present a balanced offering of conceptual essays and empirical research studies. The chapters explore how researchers have previously used empirical studies to address race and gender before arguing that the more complex an identity or intersectional position, such as being a Black gender fluid woman, the more likely a person shall experience workplace bullying. The author also looks at how this affects Black women's mental health, such as through increased anxiety, depression, insomnia, and self-medicating behaviors, before looking specifically at Black female athletes as a study, the topic of colorism at work and its impact on Black women, and how workplace bullying compromises organizations diversity and inclusion initiatives.
This book will be of immense interest to graduate students and academics in the fields of social work, ethnic studies, Black studies, Africana studies, gender studies, political science, sociology, psychology, and social justice. It will also be of interest to those interested in intersectionality and how this relates to race and gender of women.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003187813/black-women-intersectionality-workplace-bullying-leah-hollis
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Join us for a book launch May 25 2021
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Book published by Emerald July 2016. It is based on emperical research of 142 community colleges about the impact of workplace bullying in the community college sector. The table of contents and foreword is available here. The book is... more
Book published by Emerald July 2016. It is based on emperical research of 142 community colleges about the impact of workplace bullying in the community college sector. The table of contents and foreword is available here.
The book is available on amazon.com or the Emerald website. Chapters are available individually at Emerald.
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S1479-364420160000018020
The book is available on amazon.com or the Emerald website. Chapters are available individually at Emerald.
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/S1479-364420160000018020
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This anthology collects perspectives regarding workplace bullying. Diversity, sales, human resources, leadership, cyberharassment and restorative justice are topics within this volume.
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Introduction and References for Chapter 1 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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Introduction and References for Chapter 2 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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Background The first university in the world, the University of al-Karaouine, was founded in what is now Fez, Morocco, by Fatima Al-Fihri in the year 859. After inheriting a large sum from her father, Fatima Al-Fihri created a center for... more
Background The first university in the world, the University of al-Karaouine, was founded in what is now Fez, Morocco, by Fatima Al-Fihri in the year 859. After inheriting a large sum from her father, Fatima Al-Fihri created a center for education. The University of al-Karaouine, also known as al-Qarawiyyin, is the oldest degree-granting institution of higher learning in the world (Cherradi, 2016). The University of al-Karaouine predates the founding of Egypt's Azhar University founded in 970, the University of Bologna founded in 1088, and the University of Oxford, founded in 1096, known for being the oldest English-speaking university (Cherradi, 2016). In 1551, a Royal and Pontifical University in Mexico was established. Just over 200 years later on the eve of the American Revolution in 1775, the University in Mexico had awarded close to 30,000 bachelor's degrees and 1,162 master's and doctoral degrees (Castañeda, 1930). North American Universities, such as Harvard founded in 1636, had an original mission to train clergy in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1693, King William III and Queen Mary II of England chartered the second oldest university in North America with William and Mary University. Chronometrically, bureaucratic structures have fortified higher education. Given its history, higher education organizations are considered mature organizations, resulting in a lack of agility and adroitness to respond to evolving threats (Manning, 2017). Within this history, these organizational structures create prestige and status for those holding the highest offices in these institutions (Madan, 2014; Manning, 2017). In the United States, higher education bureaucracies have evolved to serve various student populations. Women's colleges starting with Wesleyan College in Macon Georgia in 1836 were founded for girls. Other religious-based colleges such as Notre Dame University (1842), Brigham Young University (1875), and Yeshiva University (1886) were created (Lucas, 2016). Simultaneously, former slave owners and northern philanthropists founded a number of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Cheyney University (1837), Lincoln University (PA) (1854), and Howard University (1867). These institutions were developed to train ex-slaves to be more palatable to American
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Introduction and References for Chapter 4 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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An Introductory Note about the Term "Ombudsmen" Regardless of gender, the Swedish term Ombudsmen applies to both men and women in their impartial functions to cultivate resolution in government, health care, or education. From the 1809... more
An Introductory Note about the Term "Ombudsmen" Regardless of gender, the Swedish term Ombudsmen applies to both men and women in their impartial functions to cultivate resolution in government, health care, or education. From the 1809 Swedish monarchy, the office "Justitie-ombudsman" or citizen's protector was a position adopted throughout Scandinavia (Buccieri, 1968, p. 52). Though the historical use of this term invites a gendered marker, throughout this chapter, I will use the term "Ombuds" or "Ombuds personnel" without the gendered marker while discussing their vital role of conflict resolution in organizations. Swedish scholars are often recognized as leaders in researching conflict resolution and stress in organizations. In 1990, Leymann's study led to the discussion of a critical analysis on mobbing, which is "ganging up on someone. … And subjecting [them] to psychological harassment" (p. 119). Research on workplace abuse continued with Eirensen (1999), Hoel and Salin (2002) and Rayner (1997), from the University of Bergen. Since the early 1990s, scholars from several countries have examined workplace bullying, the impact on the organization, and the deleterious health problems that manifest for targets. The foundation for these groundbreaking Scandinavian scholars aligns with Allport (1954) who discussed the escalating phases of prejudice and discrimination. The first phase includes gossiping and discriminatory discussions in a small "in-group." Avoidance and discriminatory behavior are the next phases, each becoming more intense. From another perspective, discrimination and prejudice within power differentials form the foundation of workplace bullying research (Eirensen, 1999). Researchers consider nonsexual harassment, that is workplace bullying, to be more devastating "than all of the other work related stress put together" (Eirensen, 1999; Niedl, 1995; Zapf et al., 1996). Potentially workplace bullying is more stressful because targets often do not know why the bully harassed them; in comparison, those who are targeted in sexual harassment know what is motivating the harasser.
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Introduction and References for Chapter 6 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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Introduction and References for Chapter 7 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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Introduction and References for Chapter 8 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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Introduction and References for Chapter 9 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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Introduction and References for Chapter 2 of Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education: Understanding Vulnerable Employees' Experiences. Full text available on amazon.com
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Many in the higher education community are mourning the untimely loss of a colleague, Antoinette (Bonnie) Candia-Bailey. The former vice president of student affairs at Lincoln University, in Missouri, was only 49 when she died by... more
Many in the higher education community are mourning the untimely loss of a colleague, Antoinette (Bonnie) Candia-Bailey. The former vice president of student affairs at Lincoln University, in Missouri, was only 49 when she died by suicide. In emails sent before she died, she accused the president of Lincoln, a historically Black university, of bullying and harassing her, causing her mental harm. Black women, in particular, note yet another woman of color, by her account, cut down by her organization, and they are startled that her employer, an HBCU, seemingly allowed this to occur. Unfortunately, scholars of workplace bullying are not surprised because time and again in our research respondents comment that they have considered suicide to escape a bully.
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College of Education names Hollis associate dean for access, equity, inclusion | Penn State University EDUCATION College of Education names Hollis associate dean for access, equity, inclusion JUNE 5, 2023By Brian Cox Leah P. Hollis has... more
College of Education names Hollis associate dean for access, equity, inclusion | Penn State University EDUCATION College of Education names Hollis associate dean for access, equity, inclusion JUNE 5, 2023By Brian Cox Leah P. Hollis has been named associate dean for access, equity and inclusion for the Penn State College of Education. She will begin working at Penn State on Aug. 1. Credit: Photo provided. All Rights Reserved.
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with details. Use the Widget Builder, a way to display events from here elsewhere. Anyone may use the Weekly Events Emailer to receive one or more custom weekly email messages containing event notifications.
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Forbes article about 'haters."
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Sexual harassment is illegal. Falsifying documents is illegal. But unfortunately, bullying-in most of its shapes and forms-is not. Yelling, name-calling, insulting, belittling and selectively leaving employees out of meetings and email... more
Sexual harassment is illegal. Falsifying documents is illegal. But unfortunately, bullying-in most of its shapes and forms-is not. Yelling, name-calling, insulting, belittling and selectively leaving employees out of meetings and email exchanges is not prosecutable in a court of law, but it can be prevented and dealt with by training organizations to respond and build policies around abolishing this sort of behavior, says bullying expert Leah Hollis, EDD, an associate professor at Morgan State University. Hollis, who penned the book Bully in the Ivory Tower: How Aggression and Incivility Erode American Higher Education, visited Duke University on Sept. 9 to speak to School of Medicine and Duke Health employees about how to recognize bullying in the workplace. The event, "Empowering Community in the Face of Bullying," was hosted and sponsored by the Duke OMce of ScientiNc Integrity. Hollis was the keynote speaker for the event, but participants also heard from Geeta Swamy, associate vice president for research for Duke University and vice dean for scientiNc integrity for the School of Medicine, Ann Brown, vice dean for faculty in the School of Medicine, and Ada Gregory, associate director at the Kenan Institute for Ethics and student ombudsperson for the Duke OMce for Institutional Equity. All four speakers noted the toll that bullying can take on an organization. More than 54 million people in the United States are impacted by bullying annually, said Hollis, and the costs of this-which include decreased productivity, employee turnover, and error due to emotional turmoil-costs the nation as much as $64 billion annually. But besides the costs to an organization, what about the individual people aWected?
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Bullying is a big problem in academia and often the overall culture both encourages and rewards it, with those who are traditionally underrepresented in institutions and departments most likely to be on the receiving end.
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Hollis is awarded the Lucy Wheelock Alumni Award
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Living at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression makes Black women disproportionately vulnerable to workplace bullying in higher education.
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Special Issue, Black women and Title IX Edited by Leah P. Hollis, Rutgers University This call is for innovative scholarship on Black women/girls and Title IX, hence we struggle for equal protection under the law. This issue is meant to... more
Special Issue, Black women and Title IX Edited by Leah P. Hollis, Rutgers University This call is for innovative scholarship on Black women/girls and Title IX, hence we struggle for equal protection under the law. This issue is meant to empirically examine the policy and the impact of Title IX's short comings, the effects in ALL educational; Activities such as (but not limited to) STEM,
Research Interests: Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, Race and Ethnicity, Women, African American Studies, and 10 moreGender and Sexuality Studies, Gender and Sport, Black Women's Studies, Women of Color Feminism, Sexual Harassment, Black Studies, Tenure, Sociology of Ethnicity and Race, Black Queer Studies and Queer of Color Critique, and Women and Minority In STEM Fields
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As your organization’s chief “people persons,” and as a human resources professional you have the potential for significant influence. You have a deep awareness about what’s going on throughout the organization. HR professionals are often... more
As your organization’s chief “people persons,” and as a human resources professional you have the potential for significant influence. You have a deep awareness about what’s going on throughout the organization. HR professionals are often the only ones with a complete picture of the workplace culture. As a result, you are a critical pivot point for change, and you wield the persuasive powerrequired to help eliminate bullying.
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Even with the swell of support surrounding gymnast Simone Biles' decision to step back from the Olympics to protect her mental health, there was a nagging narrative that the star athlete-who won nationals with broken toes, won world... more
Even with the swell of support surrounding gymnast Simone Biles' decision to step back from the Olympics to protect her mental health, there was a nagging narrative that the star athlete-who won nationals with broken toes, won world competitions with a kidney stone and endured years of sexual abuse while representing an organization that protected her abuser-wasn't strong enough. It echoed a longstanding and problematic stereotype: Black women must be strong. Black women must be resilient. Black women must prioritize others over themselves. The stereotype of the "strong Black woman" creates an unrealistic idea that Black women need less support than others, said Dr. Riana Elyse Anderson.
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Discussion from Mary Beth Gasman about diversity and talent within HBCU faculty.
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Virtual conference on bullying in the STEM fields. The conference is hosted by Michigan State and Lehigh University.
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A spate of bullying allegations have rocked several high-profile science institutions. Here's how researchers, universities, funders and others are dealing with the issue.
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Tribune Democrat highlights Dr. Leah Hollis in her international speaking engagements.
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Are you trying to lead a committee, department, unit, school, college, university or group through change yet have a bully on your team? Whenever you meet with colleagues to discuss a change project, this person " aids " the team in... more
Are you trying to lead a committee, department, unit, school, college, university or group through change yet have a bully on your team? Whenever you meet with colleagues to discuss a change project, this person " aids " the team in eliminating information she says is not germane to the group's scope of work or charge. As other team members start to speak, this person interrupts and changes the topic. Team members leave the meeting saying how productive the meeting was because they got to the heart of the matter. But the actual fact is that they do not know how to respond to the chilly climate during the meeting because they feel threatened or humiliated. And each feels isolated, thinking he or she is the only one who perceives the comments as harsh and off-putting. You are not the only one experiencing such situations. According to Morgan State University professor Leah P. Hollis, in Bully in the Ivory Tower: How Aggression and Incivility Erode American Higher Education [1], more than 60 percent of respondents in an independent study of 175 four-year colleges reported experiencing workplace bullying, compared to less than 40 percent of the general public. A biting email message, excluding a colleague from the office happy hour invitation or using the silent treatment when asked for an opinion about a new idea proposed by a colleague-these all are forms of manipulation that we now recognize as bullying. If a supervisor or colleague removes areas of responsibility without explanation, yells at employees in public, constantly monitors employees or sabotages or discounts the quality of an employee's work, it's bullying. The University of Louisville Ombuds Office offers their campus a self-help guide [2] on bullying and succinctly defines bullying as " repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed toward an employee (or a group of employees), which is intended to intimidate and creates a risk to the health and safety of the employee(s). " In the academic environment, bullying derails not only our hopes for a collaborative workplace but also the learning and discovery that are our mission. And with so many people impacted, you can imagine the emotional and psychological toll: anxiety, insomnia, low morale, trouble concentrating and fear of humiliation. In 2014, HERS partnered with several organizations to look at the pathways to senior leadership in higher education. The research [3], in which 35 women presidents and senior officers were interviewed, described positive and negative aspects of being top leaders in their respective institutions. Two negative aspects are eerily similar to bullying: scrutiny and criticism, and not fitting in or being heard. Resistance to change and lack of buy-in, in their most extreme forms, are also bullying.
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Bullies aren't just on the playground. In fact, 62 percent of higher ed employees surveyed for a recent study reported witnessing or experiencing bullying in the past 18 months. That's exactly one-quarter more than the 37 percent of the... more
Bullies aren't just on the playground. In fact, 62 percent of higher ed employees surveyed for a recent study reported witnessing or experiencing bullying in the past 18 months. That's exactly one-quarter more than the 37 percent of the general workforce who report the same, according to Workplace Bullying Institute Data.
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Twenty-one of the Main Line's most successful and influential women share their secrets to success.
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There've been comments about how the role of the HR professional is to protect the organization, not the individual. Whether the complaint is regarding budgets, restructuring, or harassment, HR staff members are typically charged with... more
There've been comments about how the role of the HR professional is to protect the organization, not the individual. Whether the complaint is regarding budgets, restructuring, or harassment, HR staff members are typically charged with being the facilitator who shields the organization through tumultuous times. Aligning with the mission of serve and protect the organization, recruiters can be a front line which can prevent the bully from invading a workplace environment. Different workplace arenas tend to attract different personality types. While educators and social organizations tend to attract those with " helping " personalities, corporate cultures tend to reward a more " assertive " personality. With this in mind, recruiters can keep an eye out for the appropriate personalities for open positions, as well as learn some of the characteristics of a bully, ultimately avoiding recruiting them into an organization in the first place. With corporate culture in mind, recruiters should be cognizant of the impact a bully can have on any organization. Bullying is a silent epidemic which is infecting many organizations; insightful recruiting can help stop bullying before it starts. Much of the information on workplace bullying confirms that the bully is the boss 72% of the time. Bullies are equal opportunity players, both men and women. While the shiny new executive needs to have the stamina and confidence to manage staff and execute strategy, the new executive also needs to be a leader that staff can follow. People vote with their feet in organizations, not their mouths. Staff will not speak up against the newly recruited bully boss. Recruiters will find themselves in a heavy recruiting cycle when good people flee a toxic environment, crushed under the weight of the highly touted new bully boss. When an organization truly considers the cost of turnover, it should be motivated to stop the bullying problem before it starts, especially when most bullies are the boss.
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This white paper is based on a two-day symposium held in 2023. Several experts volunteered their time for a focus group-style event in which we discussed critical issues that manifest through workplace bullying. The report includes a... more
This white paper is based on a two-day symposium held in 2023. Several experts volunteered their time for a focus group-style event in which we discussed critical issues that manifest through workplace bullying. The report includes a cost analysis of the PASSHE system and the emergent themes from the (IRB approved) focus group. The white paper concludes with solutions and policies that are publicly available
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Reviewed by Sakshee Chawla: Living at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression makes Black women disproportionately vulnerable to workplace bullying higher education... more
Reviewed by Sakshee Chawla: Living at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression makes Black women disproportionately vulnerable to workplace bullying higher education
https://rrapp.hks.harvard.edu/complex-intersectionality-compounds-workplace-bullying-for-women-of-color/
https://rrapp.hks.harvard.edu/complex-intersectionality-compounds-workplace-bullying-for-women-of-color/
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In the advent of the most critical health crisis in over 100 years, COVID-19, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along with their Predominantly White Institution (PWI) counterparts rushed to online learning in an attempt... more
In the advent of the most critical health crisis in over 100 years, COVID-19, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along with their Predominantly White Institution (PWI) counterparts rushed to online learning in an attempt to keep students engaged and progressing toward a degree. This urgent shift left many faculty members, who might have had minimal or no previous experience teaching online, with little time to make the adjustment. The convenient solution of online course delivery may initially soothe those students and faculty members striving to escape the airborne public health threat involved with face-to-face teaching. However, an unmistakable panic pervaded the emergency shift to online education. Faculty and students continue to scramble to create meaningful online class experiences.
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Researchers have conducted numerous studies on workplace bullying (Björkqvist, Österman, & Hjelt-Bäck, 1994; Branch, Ramsay, & Barker,
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Various researchers (Bennis, 1999; Birks, Budden, Stewart, & Chapman, 2014; Boggs, 2003; Burns, 1978; Gill & Jones, 2013; McPhail, 2002) have studied executive leadership and the cultures such leaders govern. Other studies have considered... more
Various researchers (Bennis, 1999; Birks, Budden, Stewart, & Chapman, 2014; Boggs, 2003; Burns, 1978; Gill & Jones, 2013; McPhail, 2002) have studied executive leadership and the cultures such leaders govern. Other studies have considered workplace bullying and its impact on the target (Branch, Ramsay & Barker, 2007; Hollis, 2015; Keim & McDermott, 2010; Klein, 2009). However, the voice of the president is often missing from such studies on workplace bullying and the culture that causes these distractions. Therefore, this narrative qualitative study collects the stories of six community college presidents to better understand how even the most executive officer can be the target of workplace bullying. The findings reveal that presidents endure workplace bullying from collective populations such as the faculty or the community. Further, the board of trustees can act as or enable a bully that has a deleterious impact on the presidents and the communities they serve. The findings from this narrative qualitative study may prove informative to candidates considering such presidential or chief executive positions as well as to boards of trustees who are critical to any president’s success.
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Workplace bullying is an emerging topic for researchers considering the impact of abusive behavior on employees (Björkqvist, Österman, & Hjelt
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The simultaneous proliferation of developmental education and online computer-based education creates questions about the success and failure of students engaging in remediation without teacher-led instruction. While many studies show... more
The simultaneous proliferation of developmental education and online computer-based education creates questions about the success and failure of students engaging in remediation without teacher-led instruction. While many studies show minimal difference in student performance between online and face-to-face instruction (Schenker, 2007; Utts et al.,
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A recent study considered the extent of workplace bullying in four-year colleges and universities (Hollis, 2015a). However, as 60% of all community college employees (faculty and staff) are represented by collective bargaining (Berry,... more
A recent study considered the extent of workplace bullying in four-year colleges and universities (Hollis, 2015a). However, as 60% of all community college employees (faculty and staff) are represented by collective bargaining (Berry, Savarese, & Boris, 2012), no studies consider...
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Workplace bullying has received increasing attention from researchers since the early 2000s. While the cost of disengagement and the impact on people of color have been considered (Hollis, 2012), this conceptual essay is a secondary... more
Workplace bullying has received increasing attention from researchers since the early 2000s. While the cost of disengagement and the impact on people of color have been considered (Hollis, 2012), this conceptual essay is a secondary analysis of data collected in Chapter 1 to reflect on the position of the target. Reflecting on the primary sample of 200 community college respondents, this analysis uses descriptive statistics to answer the question, " what is the extent of community college women affected by
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As noted in chapter 3, workplace bullying has been proven to disproportionately affect those who are outside of the mainstream culture because of race, gender, or organizational position. In short, those who do not confirm to the... more
As noted in chapter 3, workplace bullying has been proven to disproportionately affect those who are outside of the mainstream culture because of race, gender, or organizational position. In short, those who do not confirm to the hegemonic culture’s expectations are more likely to be the targets of bullying. This fact remains particularly evident in the examination of the gender and sexual minority (GSM) sample of this data collection. Rarely is 100% of one sample affected by bullying, as is the case of GSM employees working in community colleges. Therefore, this conceptual essay will use Allport’s (1979) theory on prejudice and descriptive statistics to reflect on the campus cultures that allow for GSMs to consistently face such abuse on the community college campus.
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The information superhighway has also been a vehicle for bullies to harass targets in K-12, college, corporate sectors, and higher education (Long, 2008; Tu, 2002). While technology is useful, the public shaming component makes... more
The information superhighway has also been a vehicle for bullies to harass targets in K-12, college, corporate sectors, and higher education (Long, 2008; Tu, 2002). While technology is useful, the public shaming component makes cyberbullying an indelible emotional assault that remains on the Internet years after the initial aggression. By reflecting on theoretical elements of public shaming discussed by Gilbert and Proctor
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This chapter, which is based on the open-ended comments from study respondents, highlights the need for workplace bullying policies on community college campuses. Twenty-five percent of respondents from
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Often we focus on what types of bullies exist. This presentation reviews types of bullies, but also the organizational structure which enables or inhibits faculty bullies on campus
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Workplace bullying is related to a number of health issues. This study examined how women of color, who are more likely to be bullied on the job, cope. A Chi-Square analysis confirmed that women of color are more likely to engage in... more
Workplace bullying is related to a number of health issues. This study examined how women of color, who are more likely to be bullied on the job, cope. A Chi-Square analysis confirmed that women of color are more likely to engage in self- medicating behaviors and suicidal ideation due to workplace bullying.
These findings were presented at the RCMI Conference, Bethesda, MD December 16 2019
These findings were presented at the RCMI Conference, Bethesda, MD December 16 2019
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This study is an original examination of the overlooked phenomenon of vicarious bullying in higher education. While researchers have brought attention to direct bullying, vicarious bullying—which results when a third party acts as the... more
This study is an original examination of the overlooked phenomenon of vicarious bullying in higher education.
While researchers have brought attention to direct bullying, vicarious bullying—which results when a third party acts as the aggressor or henchman—can also create destructive environments that lead to employee disengagement and turnover. This study is based on a meta- analysis of existing data sets pertaining to workplace bullying in American higher education. Potential respondents at 317 four-year colleges and universities, as well as two-year community colleges, received a 35- question instrument.
While researchers have brought attention to direct bullying, vicarious bullying—which results when a third party acts as the aggressor or henchman—can also create destructive environments that lead to employee disengagement and turnover. This study is based on a meta- analysis of existing data sets pertaining to workplace bullying in American higher education. Potential respondents at 317 four-year colleges and universities, as well as two-year community colleges, received a 35- question instrument.
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Using spillover theory, this chi-square analysis evaluates how study respondents may be affected by workplace bullying. The specific issue was the desire for physical intimacy. The findings confirm that black women are most likely to... more
Using spillover theory, this chi-square analysis evaluates how study respondents may be affected by workplace bullying. The specific issue was the desire for physical intimacy. The findings confirm that black women are most likely to have a decreased interest in physical intimacy as a result of workplace bullying.
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This is a presentation from the American Association of Community Colleges, April 2016. Findings reveal that workplace bullying in community colleges is slightly higher than the reported frequency of workplace bullying in four year... more
This is a presentation from the American Association of Community Colleges, April 2016. Findings reveal that workplace bullying in community colleges is slightly higher than the reported frequency of workplace bullying in four year higher education
Research Interests:
Workplace bullying has received increasing attention from researchers since the early 2000s. Reflecting on the primary sample of 200 community college respondents who confirmed that 64% of respondents were affected by workplace bullying... more
Workplace bullying has received increasing
attention from researchers since the early
2000s. Reflecting on the primary sample of
200 community college respondents who
confirmed that 64% of respondents were
affected by workplace bullying (Hollis 2016),
this analysis used descriptive statistics to
answer the question, “what is the extent of
community college women affected by
workplace bullying?” After it was determined
that 36% of the general sample, primarily
women, avoided bullying, a second question
emerged: “What are common traits of those
NOT bullied in community colleges? ”
This analysis shows that race, gender, and
position are factors that seemingly contribute
to who avoids bullying. Considering theories
regarding social dominance (Pratto, et al.,
1994, Sidanius, 1993) and constrained choice
(Broadbridge, 2010; Hakim, 2002), the data
revealed that those who are not bullied tend to
be white, women, in middle management,
without tenure. In short, those who do not
seek power and work from traditional
positions are more likely to avoid bullying.
Further, only 6% of the people of color
reported they were unaffected by
workplace bullying. These respondents of
color all held positions without power in the
community college structure.
attention from researchers since the early
2000s. Reflecting on the primary sample of
200 community college respondents who
confirmed that 64% of respondents were
affected by workplace bullying (Hollis 2016),
this analysis used descriptive statistics to
answer the question, “what is the extent of
community college women affected by
workplace bullying?” After it was determined
that 36% of the general sample, primarily
women, avoided bullying, a second question
emerged: “What are common traits of those
NOT bullied in community colleges? ”
This analysis shows that race, gender, and
position are factors that seemingly contribute
to who avoids bullying. Considering theories
regarding social dominance (Pratto, et al.,
1994, Sidanius, 1993) and constrained choice
(Broadbridge, 2010; Hakim, 2002), the data
revealed that those who are not bullied tend to
be white, women, in middle management,
without tenure. In short, those who do not
seek power and work from traditional
positions are more likely to avoid bullying.
Further, only 6% of the people of color
reported they were unaffected by
workplace bullying. These respondents of
color all held positions without power in the
community college structure.
Research Interests:
JOIN US for a two-day symposium to generate solutions to workplace bullying. Why attend? Interact with the top workplace bullying experts in the country Learn what other colleges are doing. Gain insight into addressing bullying at your... more
JOIN US for a two-day symposium to generate solutions to workplace bullying.
Why attend?
Interact with the top workplace bullying experts in the country
Learn what other colleges are doing.
Gain insight into addressing bullying at your institution.
It's a free event
Space is limited, so registration is required
Why attend?
Interact with the top workplace bullying experts in the country
Learn what other colleges are doing.
Gain insight into addressing bullying at your institution.
It's a free event
Space is limited, so registration is required
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Lecture on the ECO system of workplace bullying hosted by Boston University. This is a free event
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A conversation about the new book, BULLYING IN HIGHER EDUCATION:
UNDERSTANDING VULNERABLE EMPLOYEES’ EXPERIENCES. Discount code will be available at the event
UNDERSTANDING VULNERABLE EMPLOYEES’ EXPERIENCES. Discount code will be available at the event
Research Interests:
Leah Hollis to give keynote speech and workshop at the University of Pittsburgh Women in Medicine and Science Forum