The Future of Education

Workplace bullying represents a significant psychosocial risk within educational institutions, negatively affecting teachers’ well-being, professional identity, job satisfaction, and institutional climate. Unlike isolated interpersonal conflicts, organizational bullying is embedded in dysfunctional relational patterns, power asymmetries, and permissive organizational norms. Recent research highlights the importance of organizational culture as a key contextual factor shaping the emergence, tolerance, or prevention of bullying behaviors in educational settings. The present paper aims to analyze organizational culture as a protective factor against workplace bullying in schools and higher education institutions, emphasizing its role in fostering psychological safety, ethical leadership, and relational trust. The paper adopts a theoretical and analytical approach, integrating findings from educational psychology, organizational psychology, and leadership studies. Particular attention is paid to cultural dimensions such as shared values, communication practices, leadership styles, and institutional policies that contribute to early prevention, recognition, and management of bullying behaviors. The analysis suggests that supportive, participatory, and value-driven organizational cultures significantly reduce the risk of bullying by promoting accountability, transparency, and collective responsibility. Furthermore, the paper discusses practical implications for teacher training, leadership development, and institutional policy-making, underlining the necessity of embedding anti-bullying strategies within broader cultural and organizational frameworks. By conceptualizing organizational culture as a dynamic protective resource, this contribution provides a holistic perspective on bullying prevention and offers evidence-informed directions for creating healthier and more resilient educational environments.