Introduction - Bullying, mobbing, and violence in public service workplaces : the shifting sands of “acceptable” violence

In May 2009, I had the privilege of returning to the Public Administration Theory Network (PAT-Net) Conference in Frankfort, Kentucky. Much of the discussion over those few days focused on the questions around public administration (PA) and human flourishing. However, I heard less than I would have liked about the flourishing of public service practitioners who are charged with the job of the flourishing of the citizenry they serve. Many spoke of public administration research needing to return to the “big” (i.e., important) PA questions, such as teaching, praxis, citizen concerns, and government. With this issue, I hope to highlight another area of need for public sector workers in an effort to improve their working lives and, in tandem, the lives of the citizens and organizations they serve: the problem of bullying, mobbing, and violence in PA workplaces.