Title
Drama at Dunder Mifflin: Workplace Bullying Discourses on The Office
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2020
Abstract
This study examines the portrayal and affective framing of workplace bullying behaviors on the popular American television show The Office. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted on 54 episodes spanning the show's nine seasons. Results revealed 331 instances of workplace bullying, for an average of 6.13 bullying behaviors per episode. Workplace bullying behavior on The Office was grouped into five categories: sexual jokes, public humiliation, practical jokes, belittlement, and misuse of authority. In general, instances of workplace bully were scripted as humorous and lacking significant consequences, which could further contribute to social discourses that perpetuate the problem of bullying in real-life workplaces.
Identifier
PMID: 27920361
DOI
10.1177/0886260516681158
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Repository Citation
Sumner, E. M., Scarduzio, J. A., & Daggett, J. R. (2020). Drama at Dunder Mifflin: Workplace bullying discourses on The Office. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35(1-2), 127-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260516681158
Publication Information
Journal of Interpersonal Violence