Bullying at work is a long-standing area of research interest that requires investigation of the role of the individual exposed to systematic negative behaviour. Studies using cross-sectional samples and broad personality measures have found some distinguishing personal characteristics of employees who are bullied compared to others. Few, however have applied theoretical frameworks to explain why personality can play a part in why an individual ends up at the receiving end of bullying and harassment at work. This article applies an overall and specific theoretical model, the vulnerability thesis, to investigating the role of temperament in relation to workplace bullying. The results show that (1) some employees exposed to bullying at work also acted as perpetrators (provocative victims), that (2) exposure to bullying at work is connected with temperamental emotional vulnerability, and that (3) hostility and self-oriented aggression mediate the role of personality in the form of temperament in relation to workplace bullying. Strengths and weaknesses and potential practical implications for helpers of employees exposed to bullying at work are discussed.

The study was carried out in Polish goat population to estimate the prevalence of the nasal cavity infection with various staphylococcal species including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), investigate the potential permissive role of small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection and determine the level of clonality of S. aureus nasal isolates. Nasal swabs and blood samples were collected from 1300 clinically healthy adult goats from 21 Polish goat herds. Blood samples were serologically screened for SRLV. Staphylococci were isolated from nasal swabs and identified using classical microbiological methods, MALDI-TOF, multiplex-PCR, and their clonality was assessed using PFGE. Antimicrobial resistance was determined on the basis of minimum inhibitory concentration and by demonstration of the presence of the mecA gene encoding the multiplex-PCR PBP2a protein and of the five main types of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec. The apparent prevalence of staphylococcal and S. aureus infection of the nasal cavity was 29.1% (CI 95%: 26.9%, 31.5%) and 7.3% (CI 95%: 6.1%, 8.8%), respectively. No relationship was found between the SRLV-infection and the presence of any staphylococcal species including S. aureus (p=0.143). Only 9.8% of S. aureus isolates were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and 5.9% to chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin. All tested isolates proved to be phenotypically and genotypically sensitive to methicillin, which yielded the apparent prevalence of MRSA of 0% (CI 95%: 0%, 7.0%). S. aureus isolates show high genetic similarity within goat herds, however vary considerably between herds. Goats do not appear to be an important source of S. aureus for humans in Poland.