Here's how workplace safety can be threatened by bullying bosses
| Jul 30, 2019, 15:38 IST
What's the worst that can happen if your boss is bullying you? Well, turns out a lot of things can go wrong and what's really the scary part is that bullying bosses can actually pose a threat to workplace safety. A new study was conducted on airline pilots and manufacturing technicians which found that employees tend to overlook safety procedures when they're treated badly by their bosses. This bullying behaviour can make them feel like they're not really a part of the workplace group.
Researcher Liu-Qin Yang says that the way a boss behaves with their employee can either strengthen the employee's sense of belongingness to the work group or weaken their status amongst the workgroup. If a boss behaves badly with an employee, the employee tends to become more self-centred and as a result, can tend to forget certain safety measures or rules. And this is especially true amongst employees who are uncertain about their standing in the group.
“When people are less sure about their strengths and weaknesses and their status within a group, they become more sensitive,” she said. “They’re more likely to respond negatively to their boss’ bullying behaviours.” “Organisations need to understand how important it is to curb leaders’ bad behaviour and to create positive team dynamics so that there will be fewer negative safety consequences for employees or customers,” she said. “It’s really critical to manage such leader behaviour, support victimised employees and prevent such issues.”
The study also recommends that leaders should get training that can improve their leadership skills and can also teach them better ways in which they can interact with their colleagues. Stay tuned for more updates.
Researcher Liu-Qin Yang says that the way a boss behaves with their employee can either strengthen the employee's sense of belongingness to the work group or weaken their status amongst the workgroup. If a boss behaves badly with an employee, the employee tends to become more self-centred and as a result, can tend to forget certain safety measures or rules. And this is especially true amongst employees who are uncertain about their standing in the group.
“When people are less sure about their strengths and weaknesses and their status within a group, they become more sensitive,” she said. “They’re more likely to respond negatively to their boss’ bullying behaviours.” “Organisations need to understand how important it is to curb leaders’ bad behaviour and to create positive team dynamics so that there will be fewer negative safety consequences for employees or customers,” she said. “It’s really critical to manage such leader behaviour, support victimised employees and prevent such issues.”
The study also recommends that leaders should get training that can improve their leadership skills and can also teach them better ways in which they can interact with their colleagues. Stay tuned for more updates.