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Taming the Beast
Although their approach is widely criticized, it is fair to say that bullies represent a functional part of many organizations. They come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and both genders. Bullying is targeted and abusive behavior. It is personally destructive and should have nothing to do with advancing legitimate organizational goals. Despite its negative connotations, though, anyone who works in an American corporation can easily see that arrogant and abusive leaders are frequently rewarded with promotions, increased pay and bonuses, as well as more power and influence. In a nutshell—bullying pays off. This paper will examine the ways American corporations unwittingly conspire to make workplace bullying a rational…
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Executive Perceptions about the Effectiveness of HR
In 2012, a study was initiated to examine how senior leaders in organizations throughout North America perceive the effectiveness of human resources professionals. The overarching objective of the study was to identify the issues most responsible for creating conflict between executives and HR practitioners in an effort to improve the working relationship going forward. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach based on research conducted across three strategies of inquiry: (1) semi-structured interviews, typically lasting between 60 to 90 minutes, with 18 corporate executives located throughout North America; (2) surveys of 171 HR professionals conducted in two separate groups; and (3) a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. Six strategies emerged…
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Caught in the Cross Fire—When HR Practitioners Become Targets of Bullying
Recent studies about the prevalence of workplace bullying have confirmed that between 27 percent and 35 percent of employees in the United States report that they have been the target of bullying at work. Although there are several studies of bullying among US employees at large, there are only a few that examine bullying and its impact among HR professionals. The most recent study found that 36 percent of the 526 practitioners responding to a LinkedIn poll reported that they had been bullied at work. In addition, a study conducted in 2008 reported a prevalence rate among HR practitioners of 80 percent. Of the 102 HR professionals completing the study,…
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The dilemmas of a service economy
One of the biggest challenges we face at the moment is the shift towards a service economy. Depending on the statistics that you read, about 70% of American jobs, and 80% of US GDP, are based on services. It’s not much different for many other “developed” (3rd World, OECD…) countries. That information, though, only generates a lot more questions. For instance: What constitutes services? The answer varies a great deal. In the broadest economic terms, activities get lumped into two very general categories: goods and services. Everything that is not a physical product can be considered a service. Those get categorized and counted quite differently, though, by different organizations and…
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Workplace Bullying in American Organizations
For nearly two decades now, management experts, scholars, practitioners, and authors of popular business books have urged American employers to treat their employees with respect, engage in open dialogue, eliminate fear, and encourage employee input and feedback. At the same time, employers have also been encouraged to lead their organizations toward the creation of a fair and respectful culture—one that includes fairness, civility, and dignity for the employees who work there through effective leadership, employment policies, benefit programs, internal communication, and the like (Daniel & Metcalf, 2001; Daniel, 2003a, Daniel, 2003b; Daniel, 2006; Daniel, 2009b; Deming, 1982, 2000; Drucker, 1992; Goldsmith et al., 2003; Hartling & Sparks, 2002; Hornstein, 1996,…
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Dialogue and Ecological Engineering
The ways in which we envision or understand systems determine much about the ways in which we attempt to affect them. The industrial era created a concept of organizations which mirrored the machines on which it was built. An efficient organization was to run like “ a well-oiled machine.” A clear division of labor improved efficiency and productivity. Frederick Taylor’s program of Scientific Management further optimized each task through isolation and measurement. In work with human organizations and institutions, it appeared that this debate might have been resolved with the shift from a mechanistic to an organismic metaphor view. In reality it only seems to have created additional confusion. Very…
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HR Investigations described
We provide investigative services related to alleged workplace misconduct with a primary focus on sexual harassment, ethical or policy violations, and workplace bullying.
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HR Consulting described
We provide general consulting to senior leaders and/or HR practitioners who would like to confidentially discuss highly sensitive employee or policy situations. This includes the coaching, support, and development of HR professionals in the organization, as well as development of the HR function itself.
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Executive Coaching described
We help organizations to develop and make the most of their talent. To this end, our work centers around three key groups: (1) senior executives who need to improve their managerial or interpersonal skills, or have been identified as creating negative workplace environments, (2) new executives or managers who have recently been promoted into their roles, and (3) executives or managers who want to become more effective leaders.
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Our Values
Our Values Through our work as both scholars and practitioners, we have come to the opinion that an almost obsessive focus on getting the culture right is the single best strategy to set an organization up for long-term success. For us, a positive and healthy workplace climate includes the following: A work environment that is respectful, flexible, fair, and inclusive; Capable leaders who inspire trust and who are uncompromisingly ethical; Supportive management who continuously coach and develop employees; Opportunities for employees to do work that feels meaningful; Frequent, transparent, and honest communication; Recognition and appreciation for good work; Opportunities for employees to grow and develop; and Accountability for adhering to…