Bad Bosses create Bad Employees

It has been generally understood that bosses through their actions and behavior can impact employee morale. But a recent study, conducted by Michigan State University researchers, determined that negative actions of bosses not only impact employee attitudes but also their behavior. The results of this study showed that the hostile behavior of bosses resulted in employees acting in a similar hostile manner to one another.

The study examined how nonphysical abuse, such as demeaning emails and verbal mistreatment, impacted employees. The employees who were the targets of the nonphysical abuse felt devalued and contributed less to the team. In many instances the employees would emulate the actions of their bosses, which resulted in team descending into conflict. The study shows that there are no individual victims when bosses engage in hostile behavior, since teams perpetuate that hostility among themselves. Abusive bosses impact the overall contribution of teams.

So if a team has been the subject of abusive supervision, it is important to rehabilitate the team’s cohesion by re-establishing trust and harmony.

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