Greacen, P.; Ross, V. Exploring the Impact of Social Identity on the Bullying of Construction Industry Apprentices. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2023, 20, 6980.
Greacen, P.; Ross, V. Exploring the Impact of Social Identity on the Bullying of Construction Industry Apprentices. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6980.
Greacen, P.; Ross, V. Exploring the Impact of Social Identity on the Bullying of Construction Industry Apprentices. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2023, 20, 6980.
Greacen, P.; Ross, V. Exploring the Impact of Social Identity on the Bullying of Construction Industry Apprentices. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6980.
Abstract
Background: There is a lack of literature specifically examining the workplace bullying of apprentices and trainees in traditional, male-dominated sectors such as the Australian building and construction industry. Using social identity theory (SIT), the aim of this study was to gather the attitudes, thoughts, and feelings of construction industry leaders to better understand how social identification (i.e., group membership) impacts bullying on targets and perpetrators, and the willingness to report bullying for targets and bystanders. Method: One-on-one, semi-structured interviews using a purposive sample of eight leaders from construction and blue-collar industries. Qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four overarching themes were identified: difficulties for apprentices transitioning into industry, the need for continued improvement to industry culture, reluctance to report bullying, and rethinking apprenticeships to empower. Each theme provides insight into the psychosocial phenomenon of the bullying of trade apprentices and suggests that an apprentices’ level of social identification with work groups shapes how bullying is identified, interpreted, and prevented. Conclusion: Findings from this study will be important for tailoring evidence-based interventions, human resource policies and initiatives for education and awareness training. Themes also highlight systemic inadequacies impacting apprentices’ mental health and skill development, with implications for the future sustainability of apprenticeship training agreements.
Keywords
apprentices; construction industry; group membership; mental health; social identification; suicide; workplace bullying
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
