Posted on 06/07/2013 10:43:39 AM PDT by Sopater
New study shows a strong correlation between bullying, social competence, and positive job evaluations
Despite the awareness of workplace bullying and the resistance to it by employers and employees, many workplace bullies achieve high levels of career success, according to a new study from the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Management.
Published in the Journal of Managerial Psychology, the study found that some workplace bullies have high social skills that they use to strategically abuse their co-workers, yet still receive positive evaluations from their supervisors.
The study marks the first attempt to measure the relationship between being a bully and job performance. It offers an initial explanation of why bullies thrive in the workplace despite organizational attempts to stop bullying behaviors.
“Many bullies can be seen as charming and friendly, but they are highly destructive and can manipulate others into providing them with the resources they need to get ahead,” says the study’s co-author, Darren Treadway, associate professor of organization and human resources at the UB School of Management.
Workplace bullying is pervasive. The study has noted that as many as half of all employees in the United States have witnessed bullying at work, and 35 percent have been the target of bullying.
The researchers collected behavioral and job performance data over two time periods from 54 employees at a mental health organization in the northwest United States to capture the individual differences and social perception of bullies in the workplace. Regression analyses were conducted on this sample size, consistent with previous studies.
The results showed a strong correlation between bullying, social competence, and positive job evaluations.
Treadway says the findings are relevant beyond the health services industry, and that companies should try to prevent bullying behavior while rewarding high-performing employees.
“Employers can work to reduce the prevalence by finding organizationally appropriate ways for employees to achieve their goals, by incorporating measures of civility and camaraderie into performance evaluations, and by helping staff to develop the skills needed to manage bullies,” says Treadway.
Future research, he says, should focus on how bullies select their victims.
Treadway collaborated on the study with Brooke Shaughnessy, a post-doctoral researcher for the chair of Research and Science Management at the Technical University of Munich School of Management, in Germany; Jacob Breland, an assistant professor of management at Youngstown State University; Jun Yang, assistant professor at Renmin University of China; and Maiyuwai Reeves, a doctoral student at the UB School of Management Department of Organization and Human Resources.
In other words, some little collectivist twerp college professor is defining self-confidence, leadership, competence, and ambition as “bullying”.
Just the name “Quality Digest” said it all for me...and I stopped right there.
Nearly every workplace has, at any given time, the 20% to 40% lazy and/or incompetent twits that you have to arm-twist to get anything at all in the way of work product.
Is *that* what they call “bullying”? I guess I’m a bully then.
Not necessarily. I was bullied at work by a co-worker who was put into an unofficial supervisory position by our manager. He would constantly accuse me of coming into work drunk until one day I’d finally had and marched his ass down to our managers office. I told them both we can all go to the nearest hospital where I would submit to a blood test and if I passed I would sue both of them so hard their ancestors would feel it.
Never heard a peep out of him again. I now work under a new manager as well (they buttwipes never last in high tech).
It's simply the next phase of neutering males. It will start in childhood where boys will learn that if they ever try assert themselves or argue a point they are quickly labeled a "bully". By the time they make it into the working world, they will be submissive doormats to whatever feminist boss they work for.
Mainly because a punch in the nose is not permitted anymore!
“...at a mental health organization....”
I don’t know if those employees would be a representative sample of the population. Moreover, a non-profit bureacracy is more likely to be dominated by politics than a for-profit business.
I don’t think I saw “bullying” defined.
After years and years of him bullying people, mainly women, he was finally laid off and when it happened all the women he had abused stood at the top of the stairs and hooted and clapped and literally jumped up and down as he left the building. These women were basically useless the rest of the day, they could not contain their excitement and relief. Their euphoria went on for days, the whole atmosphere of the building changed.
The crusade against bullying is a thinly veiled attack on maleness and its attendant behaviors.
Great post,...ahem...can I just call you 65?
Bullying = Assign a specific person a task, with a suspense, and hold them accountable??
re: In other words, some little collectivist twerp college professor is defining self-confidence, leadership, competence, and ambition as “bullying”
Perhaps. But in my experiences I have seen employees whom I would categorize as bullies who continue to succeed, despite the fact that they are often very lazy, take credit for others’ work, and are even downright incompetent. They will play the “race card” or the “disability card” or the “woman card” or any other politically correct card. I have been shocked to see these very same people get promoted to positions of higher authority.
I think that if you look at how Obama got to where he go to, he used the bullying technique time and time again.
I found assholes usually moved up the ranks faster as other assholes brought them up so they could all work together as assholes. Mod: You can quote me on that! Merck, American Home products and Novartis. Especially Novartis!
I am sick and tired of the term “bullying”. Just because you are stupid and it comes out in your work... and I have to call you out on it to cover my own rear doesn’t make you a victim.
Hi boss, didn’t know you were on FR also! (And my arm still hurts)
After reading the first paragraph, Donald Trump came to mind. ;-)
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