• HR Investigations,  interviews,  quotes,  Teresa,  toxic workplace

    Redbook Magazine Quotes Daniel: Women Need to Know They Don’t Have to Take Bullying in the Workplace

    Women Need to Know They Don’t Have to Take Bullying in the Workplace Namie is skeptical of HR’s ability to broker change, and Teresa A. Daniel, Ph.D., an employment lawyer and dean of the Human Resource Leadership Program at Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, agrees that going to HR can make things worse — and has in many cases. Nonetheless, she argues that it is the first step: “HR can be a great resource, but it depends on the culture of the organization. At organizations that say, ‘We treat everybody with respect and won’t allow this kind of interaction to stand,’ bullies end up either getting fired or quitting.” If…

  • executive coaching,  Gary,  publications,  Teresa,  toxic workplace

    Toxic Leadership in Context

    A sizeable body of research and other literature has been developing about toxic leadership and workplace bullying. Our earlier work found distinctions between tough bosses and true bullies in the workplace. A later study showed that military officers were able to clearly identify differences between tough but effective leaders, and toxic leaders. That work was extended into the organizational climates which seem to promote toxic leaders and bullies. Other colleagues have explored potentials for changes in bullying behavior through executive coaching interventions, noting that some executives simply lack awareness of their behaviors, or the effects on those around them. The focus of this paper is the synthesis of earlier findings,…

  • executive coaching,  HR Investigations,  publications,  toxic workplace

    Are You a Toxic Leader or Just a Tough Boss?

    By Teresa A. Daniel, JD, PhD and Gary S. Metcalf, PhD As scholar-practitioners, this question has consumed our research agenda for the past several years. In an attempt to find answers, we have completed studies both in the corporate sector [i] and in a military environment (in this case, the U.S. Army). [ii] But what is it that toxic leaders do and why, you might be asking, should anyone care? Isn’t this just the newest buzzword in a long line of “hot” topics? Toxic Leaders—Who They Are and What They Do Whether they are labeled as toxic leaders (in a military context) or workplace bullies (in a corporate environment), they…

  • Gary,  presentations,  video

    International Symposium on Service Systems Science, 2015 Tokyo: Promises and Threats of Big Data, Presentation by Gary Metcalf

    Dr. Gary Metcalf, PhD, presents on the Promises and Threats of Big Data, at the International Symposium on Service Systems Science, February 2015 at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo. There is a followup of questions and answers after his talk. Watch it here: http://www.garymetcalf.com/extras/gary-metcalf-tokyo-2015.mp4

  • executive coaching,  Gary,  HR consulting,  publications,  Teresa

    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…

  • Gary,  HR consulting,  news,  publications,  research,  Teresa

    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…

  • HR Investigations,  publications,  research,  Teresa,  toxic workplace

    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,…

  • executive coaching,  HR Investigations,  Teresa,  toxic workplace

    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,…