A STUDY OF THE BEHAVIOR AND PATTERNS OF WORKPLACE BULLYING OF EMPLOYEES IN THE PETROCHEMICAL CHEMICAL AND OIL REFINERY INDUSTRIES IN RAYONG PROVINCE

Abstract

This research article aims to: 1) Study the behaviors and patterns of workplace bullying; 2) Compare differences in these patterns; and 3) Analyze the relationships between different patterns of workplace bullying. The study population consists of 12,059 employees in the petrochemical, chemical, and oil refinery industries, from which a sample of 400 respondents was selected. The research instrument used was a questionnaire, and data were analyzed using statistical methods including percentages, means, standard deviations, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and correlation coefficients. The research findings revealed that: 1) The majority of employees in these industries are male, possess 1 - 5 years of work experience, and hold operational positions. While most reported never having bullied anyone, a portion of the respondents had experienced bullying; 2) The overall level of perception regarding workplace bullying among employees was high; 3) Comparing the mean levels of perception regarding workplace bullying patterns by gender revealed that perceptions of cyberbullying differed significantly at the .05 statistical level. Furthermore, comparisons based on work experience and job position showed that perceptions of specific bullying patterns-namely verbal and social bullying-differed significantly at the .05 level, both overall and in specific aspects. Consequently, the researchers conducted pairwise post-hoc comparisons using the Scheffé method; and 4) There were relationships between variables related to workplace bullying among employees. The strongest relationship was found between verbal bullying and social bullying, with a correlation coefficient of .730.