What is it about?
We analyzed the impact of stress, burnout, discrimination, harassment and bullying on more than 117 thousand employees of organizations within Australia’s public service. Our result conclusively shows that organizations are significantly worse off when workers experience high levels of stress, discrimination and harassment/bullying. Furthermore, we found that workers who experience discrimination, harassment and bullying are considerably more likely to report high levels of stress and burnout at work.
Featured Image
Photo by Resume Genius on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Amid a growing backlash over DEI, our results show that organizations that do not promote wellbeing and inclusive working environments may face challenges in improving performance. Notwithstanding, this study did not examine all areas of DEI. For instance, we did not investigate the impact of controversial issues like the promotion of equity or representation in the workplace.
Perspectives
Relying on empirical data and quantitative analyses, our research sheds some light on an increasingly polarizing topic. The results are consistent even with the inclusion of a wide range of control variables. It is clear from our results that workers who experience discrimination, harassment and bullying are likely to be more stressed and less motivated, confident and effective, which in turn worsens the overall performance of the organization.
Michael Olumekor
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Public sector effectiveness: the role of wellbeing, and inclusive working environment, Public Management Review, December 2025, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2025.2597960.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
