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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…
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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,…
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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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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
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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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Dr. Teresa Daniel: Sullivan University Human Resources Program TV Ad, Triplets
Sullivan University’s Human Resources TV advertisement, featuring Dr. Teresa Daniel, Dean
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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…