Negative Acts Questionnaire
Also known as: NAQ, Workplace Bullying Scale, Einarsen Raknes Scale
The Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) measures exposure to workplace bullying and harassment—persistent negative social interactions including exclusion, denigration, and intimidation. Developed by Einarsen and colleagues in 1994, the 22-item scale captures a range of harmful workplace behaviors. Bullying exposure correlates strongly with psychological distress, health problems, absenteeism, and turnover, making the NAQ valuable in occupational health and organizational assessment.
Key highlights
- Comprehensive multidimensional coverage of bullying behaviors: physical intimidation, personal attacks, work-related sabotage, isolation, and denigration.
- Strong empirical validation: 25+ years of research shows NAQ exposure correlates with depression, anxiety, burnout, cardiovascular stress, and poor health.
- Widely translated: available in 20+ languages with cross-cultural validation.
- Both full (22-item) and brief versions enable deployment in diverse survey contexts.
- Clear behavioral focus: items describe specific acts rather than subjective labeling (e.g., 'bullied'), enabling more objective assessment.
Intuition
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How it works
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When to use it
Use the NAQ in workplace climate surveys, occupational health assessments, post-incident investigations, and research examining the health impacts of workplace mistreatment. It is particularly valuable in organizational settings where bullying concerns have been raised, or in high-stress occupations (healthcare, education, emergency services) where interpersonal tensions are common.
Strengths & limitations
- Comprehensive multidimensional coverage of bullying behaviors: physical intimidation, personal attacks, work-related sabotage, isolation, and denigration.
- Strong empirical validation: 25+ years of research shows NAQ exposure correlates with depression, anxiety, burnout, cardiovascular stress, and poor health.
- Widely translated: available in 20+ languages with cross-cultural validation.
- Both full (22-item) and brief versions enable deployment in diverse survey contexts.
- Clear behavioral focus: items describe specific acts rather than subjective labeling (e.g., 'bullied'), enabling more objective assessment.
- Self-report format cannot verify bullying claims; respondents may overestimate or misattribute workplace conflict as bullying.
- Does not assess perpetrator perspective; bullies may not acknowledge or recognize their behavior as harmful.
- Cultural differences in tolerance for confrontation, directness, and hierarchy mean that acts rated as bullying in egalitarian cultures may be normative in hierarchical cultures.
- Temporal instability: bullying exposure fluctuates with changes in management, team composition, or organizational stressors.
Common pitfalls
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Applications
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Frequently asked
Is a single negative act or conflict 'bullying'?
No. Bullying involves repeated, persistent negative behavior over time. A single argument, criticism, or disagreement with a colleague is conflict, not bullying. The NAQ captures frequency and persistence; occasional negative interactions are normal workplace friction.
Who completes the NAQ—victims, witnesses, or the entire organization?
In surveys, the entire organization may complete the NAQ to assess overall bullying exposure. In investigations, specific individuals (alleged targets, witnesses, alleged perpetrators) complete it to document their experience. Anonymous organizational surveys are preferable for candid reporting without fear of retaliation.
Can NAQ scores be used in discipline or termination decisions?
NAQ scores alone should not determine disciplinary action. Self-report bullying exposure is subject to bias and perception. Use NAQ as one input in a thorough investigation including corroborating evidence, witness interviews, and documentation. Legal and HR expertise is essential.
How does bullying differ from harassment or discrimination?
Bullying involves repeated negative personal behavior without regard to protected characteristics. Harassment is negative behavior based on protected characteristics (race, gender, religion). Discrimination is unfavorable treatment based on protected status. These may overlap; bullying of a person based on a protected characteristic is both bullying and harassment.
Is the NAQ proprietary?
The NAQ is published in peer-reviewed journals. Most versions are available for research and educational use without fee, though some proprietary editions exist. Check the copyright holder before use; citation of Einarsen et al. (1994) is required.
Sources
- 1.Einarsen, S., Raknes, B. I., Matthiesen, S. B., & Hellesøy, O. H. (1994). Bullying and harassment at work: Relationships to work environment quality. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 4(2), 215–226.
- 2.Notelaers, G., & Einarsen, S. (2013). The world we know and the world we do not know about workplace bullying. In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Bullying and harassment in the workplace: Developments in theory, research, and practice (pp. 75–93). CRC Press.ISBN 978-1466572089
- 3.Lutgen-Sandvik, P., Tracy, S. J., & Alberts, J. K. (2007). Burned by bullying in the American workplace: Prevalence, perception, degree, and impact. Journal of Management Studies, 44(6), 837–862.
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Cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 3). Negative Acts Questionnaire. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/organizational-behavior/workplace-bullying-questionnaire