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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…
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Adaptive Capacity in Project Teams (Edson & Metcalf)
Organizational resilience has become critical in today’s environment. According to Engelhardt and Simmons (2002): “The need for organizational flexibility to accommodate a changing world is well understood. Today’s high-velocity and competitive markets apply added pressure to adapt rapidly and perform at high levels. Technology is opening up new ways to compete while making old ways obsolete. These trends are recognized in strategic management theories that focus on constant change and speed” (p. 113). Some project teams were adept at overcoming adversity, while others were not. The project teams that adapted to environmental constraints were able to modify their behaviors to meet goals without losing their function, while others were not.…
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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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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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Gary Metcalf: Publications, Research
PUBLICATIONS Books Metcalf, G., Kijima, K. & Deguchi, H. (Eds.) Handbook of systems sciences. Tokyo, Springer. (Forthcoming 2021). Daniel, T. A. & Metcalf, G. S. (2016). Stop Bullying at Work: Strategies and Tools for HR, Legal, & Risk Management Professionals. Alexandria, VA: SHRM Books. Metcalf, G. S. (Ed.), (2014). Social Systems and Design, Translational Systems Sciences 1. Tokyo: Springer. DOI 10.1007/978-4-431-54478-4_1. Daniel, T. A. and Metcalf, G. S. (2001). The Management of People in Mergers & Acquisitions. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Articles, Chapters and Papers Metcalf, G. S. (2020). The complexity of climate change and the need for policies of resilience. Paper accepted for the 4th International Conference on Complexity…
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Teresa Daniel, Gary Metcalf: Books
Books Toxic Leaders and Tough Bosses: Organizational Guardrails to Keep High Performers on Track , Teresa A. Daniel, Published by De Gruyter , March 18, 2024 Toxic work culture is driving away 1 in 5 employees at an annual cost of US $44.6 billion to American organizations. Yet ironically, toxic leaders often achieve stellar financial profits, continue to get promoted and remain in their leadership roles. In Toxic Leaders and Tough Bosses – Organizational Guardrails to Keep High Performers on Track, employment law attorney Teresa A. Daniel JD, PhD, draws upon numerous studies and interviews to show the real, devastating impact of toxic workplace culture and why leaders must care.…
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Teresa Daniel: Academic and Professional Publications
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOLARSHIP Academic (Peer Review) Journal Articles The Role of Malice in Cases of Workplace Misconduct, The International Journal for Responsible Employment Practices and Principles (May 2011). Midlife Employees & Work: A Focus on the Management of Midlife Career Adjustment and Strategies for Engaging Midlife Talent, Journal of Global Business (Fall 2006). What Glass Ceiling?: How Women-Owned Small Businesses are Re-Defining True Female Empowerment with Dr. Margie McInerney, International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations, 4 (Summer 2004). E-Commerce & the “Reluctant” Small Business Owner: How Technology is Changing the Business Model for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) with Dr. Margie McInerney, The International Journal of…