Psychological terror (mobbing) at a higher education institution department as a form of professional destruction

Abstract

Changes associated with higher professional education reforms exacerbate socio-psychological situation at higher education institution departments. Shifts in work conditions make teachers to intensify their adaptive capacity in order to maintain the usual quality of life. Adaptation may manifest in a form of destructive behavior referred to as mobbing. There are two types of mobbing: vertical mobbing – bossing – describing psychological terror coming from the chief and horizontal mobbing describing psychological terror coming from the colleagues. Bossing includes groups creation at the department and other department members involvement in psychological pressure on the worker. Organization and personality causes of mobbing as well as its development and possible ways of its termination are analyzed.