Abstract
This chapter presents an international state-of-the-art literature review of abusive trolling experienced by workers in the creative and cultural industries (CCIs), bringing target experiences and organizational/occupational perspectives to the forefront and contributing to the still-evolving understanding of trolling. The abusive trolling encountered by creative and cultural workers essentially reflects workplace cyberbullying at the interpersonal level stemming from external sources, as captured by D'Cruz and Noronha's ‘varieties of workplace bullying' framework, and provides evidence for the category-based cyber abuse at the workplace. Apart from discussing the responses of creative and cultural workers to abusive trolling, interventions employed to manage trolling in the CCIs are reviewed and future research directions are forwarded.
TopIntroduction
Trolling is a recent, widespread and international phenomenon, which has been identified as the most discussed topic on the Internet in the second decade of 21st century (Bishop, 2103a; Sanfilippo, Fichman, & Yang, 2018). Though the meaning attached to trolling is still evolving, two broad strands are discernible. On the one hand, trolling involves luring or baiting others to initiate pointless conversations on online communities/forums to sabotage discussions and derive personal enjoyment from such disruptive behaviours (e.g., wasting members’ time in a forum by engaging in futile arguments) (Binns, 2012; Hardaker, 2010; Hopkinson, 2013). On the other hand, trolling involves offensive remarks, personal attacks and hostile and aggressive online behaviour directed against others in order to provoke reactions (e.g., posting offensive comments on tribute pages) (Bishop, 2013a; Jane, 2012; Herring, Job-Sluder, Scheckler, & Barab, 2002; Lumsden & Morgan, 2017), indicative of cyberbullying (Cruz, Seo, & Rex, 2018; Farley, Coyne, & D’Cruz, 2018).
The present chapter provides an international state-of-the-art literature review of abusive trolling faced by workers in the creative and cultural industries (CCIs). While the CCIs are major drivers of economic growth (Boccella & Salerno, 2016; Flew, 2002), their features of flexible work/freelancing, competition and long working hours create conditions conducive for workplace bullying (Federation of Entertainment Unions [FEU], 2013; Hennekam & Benett, 2017; Siebert & Wilson, 2013). Creative and cultural workers who value autonomy, originality, self-expression, recognition and self-realization are drawn to work in the CCIs; however, they become disillusioned due to the precarious and exploitative nature of employment, which fuels mistreatment and victimization (FEU, 2013; Hesmondhalgh & Baker, 2010). Yet, alongside such abuse from internal sources (D’Cruz & Noronha, 2019), having to interface with customers and clients, often in the form of audiences such as readers, viewers, fans, and so on, can expose creative and cultural workers to harassment from external sources (Mendonca, D’Cruz, & Noronha, 2018). With creative and cultural labour often undertaken through computer-mediated communication (CMC) and/or entailing the use of information and communication technologies and devices (ICTDs) (Flew, 2017b; Hesmondhalgh & Baker, 2010), these workers are known to face abusive trolling from their audiences.
The chapter contributes in several ways. First, in reporting targets’ experiences of abusive trolling, the chapter brings this important protagonist to the forefront, deviating from earlier trends of focusing on online interactions rather than target experiences (Bishop, 2013a; Coles & West, 2016; Hardaker, 2010, 2013). Second, in focusing on the CCIs, the chapter brings an occupational and/or organizational perspective to the discussion, reinforcing Sanfilippo and colleagues’ (2017) argument that context influences how trolling unfolds and is experienced and defined. Third, in locating abusive trolling within the ‘varieties of workplace bullying’ framework (D’Cruz & Noronha, 2019), the chapter enriches both the workplace bullying and trolling literatures, adding depth to each conceptualization.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs): The CCIs encompass a heterogeneous group of industries that produce products and services of cultural, artistic and entertainment value, applying the creativity of individuals and groups ( Eikhof & Warhurst, 2013 ; Flew, 2017a ).
External Bullying: External bullying at work involves customers, clients, suppliers and others beyond the organization who engage in abusive behaviour with employees, manifested as aggressive and intimidating acts, causing the latter physical and emotional strain ( D’Cruz & Noronha, 2014 ).
Workplace Cyberbullying: Workplace cyberbullying refers to inappropriate and unwanted acts of hostility, intimidation, aggression and harassment displayed at work via information and communication technologies and devices (ICTDs), marked by boundarylessness, anonymity, invisibility, concreteness and permanence, with implications for the course of the misbehaviour in terms of pervasiveness, spread, intensity, evidence and persistence, thereby affecting outcomes for targets and other protagonists like perpetrators, bystanders, employers, etc. ( D’Cruz & Noronha, 2013 ).
Coping: Coping refers to cognitive and behavioural efforts to resolve or reduce the demands that are created by stressors (Folkman, 1984 AU36: The in-text citation "Folkman, 1984" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Workplace Bullying: Workplace bullying signifies emotional abuse, encompassing subtle and/or obvious negative psychosocial behaviours embodying aggression, hostility and intimidation, generally characterized by persistence, exhibited by workplace insiders and/or outsiders operating individually and/or as a group, to an individual employee or a group of employees during the course of the latter’s work. Being interpersonal and/or organizational in level, the display of negative behaviours, which most often bears the mark of influences from within and/or outside the workplace, occurs privately and/or publicly, in real and/or cyber forms, in the context of an existing or evolving unequal power relationship between the parties. While targets of workplace bullying, notwithstanding the harm they undergo, often strive towards well-being, protagonists like bullies, bystanders and employers experience varied outcomes ( D’Cruz & Noronha, 2019 AU38: The citation "D’Cruz & Noronha, 2019" matches multiple references. Please add letters (e.g. "Smith 2000a"), or additional authors to the citation, to uniquely match references and citations. ).
Gendertrolling: Gendertrolling involves the use of gender-based insults, vicious language and credible threats (e.g., rape threats, death threats) by a coordinated group of trolls to humiliate women, particularly those who speak out ( Mantilla, 2013 ).