ManagementWise

Bad Bosses and HowNot to Be OneAll workplaces v^ould run smoothly if all bosses learned to live by the Golden Rule ofManagement: Manage as you would like to be managed.

Sami M. Abbasi, Ph.D., Kenneth W. Hollman Ph.D., and Robert D. Hayes, Ph.D.

There is worldwide evi-dence that a nation's man-agement talent is one ofthe most important fac-tors in the growth andsurvival of its economy

and society. Also, it is equally evidentthat people in managerial positions facea variety of challenges, but perhaps themost difficuh is the smooth and effec-tive management of knowledge work-ers. As we enter the information age inthe workplace, many employees addvalue simply hecause of what theyknow. They are usually referred to asknowledge workers, and how theseemployees are managed is seen as amajor factor in determining which firmwill be successful in the future. Forexample, the symbols of the old worldwere factories, land, gold, and oil. TheInternet, computers, and informationare the symbols of the current age. AsBill Gates said, "the only factory assetwe have is human imagination."

In his 1990 book Powershift, Alvin

Toffler argued that in a highly turbulenteconomic and social environment, therewill be a generalized erosion of powerand authority. At the present time, in alltypes of organizations, power is shiftingnot just at the top management level butat lower levels as well. For example,knowledge workers believe they have theright to work autonomously. Accordingto M.A. Von Glinow's 1988 book TheNew Professional, knowledge workerstend to identify more with their profes-sion than they do with any organization.Consequently, the realities of today'sworkforce contradict traditional man-

At the Core

This article

• Identifies the burden that difficultbosses weigh on society

• Summarizes the various types ofdifficult bosses

• Offers suggestions for becoming abetter boss

agement views and assumptions. Intheir 2002 book Powerful leadership,Eric G. Stephan and R. Wayne Pace,maintain that the traditional rigid,authoritarian, drill-sergeant style ofmanagement will not foster a goodworking climate for knowledge workersand for the different components of thediverse workforce.

Most authoritarian-type bosseshave never received formal education ortraining in the art of today's managingstyle. They have stumbled their wayinto positions of authority and imitatedthe authority figures they have encoun-tered and observed in their careers.Ordinarily, these bosses are handpickedfor their loyalty at the expense of com-petence, For some of these bosses, deal-ing with the changes in the work envi-ronment is tortuous and results in frus-tration, pessimism, and bitternesstoward their organization. It is no won-der that a certain number of difficultbosses are consistently and energeticallyengaged in counterproductive manage-

5 2 The InformaMon Monagemsnt Journal • January/February 2006

rial behavior such as deviance, incivility,or antisocial behavior. Research sug-gests that, when managerial civility isabsent, work relations are strained.Rude treatment can make workersunhappy, and this can lead to cynicism,aggressive behavior, higher turnovers,lower productivity, and lost customers -and it can negatively affect a company'sbottom line.

It is a widespread observation that,when difficult bosses feel pressed orthreatened by change, they oftendemonstrate just how human they areby striking out and taking aim at subor-dinates. In fact, for many difficult boss-es, change will show the emergence of asiege mentality.

A Catalog of Bad BossesIt is interesting to note, however,

that there is a new trend in the wayemployees deal with and attempt tounderstand their difficult bosse.s. Forexample, many attend seminars, pur-chase books, and read articles on thesubject. The following is a summaryprofile of difficult bosses, which can

easily reflect a recognizable pattern oftoxic and destructive behavior that willlead to managerial failure.

The IncompetentIt is not always easy to spot incom-

petent bosses. Most are clever enoughto disguise their incompetence.Sometimes they hide behind a faijade ofsmooth talk and big words. Sometimesthey hide behind a fa(;ade of expensive,fancy clothes. In addition, they tend tobe overly impressed by idiotic fads thatsweep certain cultures. For someemployees, however, such a boss is aprime example of the Peter Principle -men or women who have risen to thelevel of their incompetence - namedafter the 1968 book The Peter Principleby Dr. Laurence I. Peter. Specifically,incompetent bosses tend to utilize thescapegoat strategy by accusing others ofcreating problems and never takingresponsibility themselves. They feel thisstrategy is a good cover-up for their fail-ure and professional inadequacy.

The BullyBasically, bully bosses practice man-

agement by terror. These bullies self-administer a kind of emotional anesthe-sia that diminishes their awareness ofharm done, allowing them to act astyrants without experiencing discom-forting pain themselves. They tend to dis-play emotional swings and insensitivity,and they require enemies in order toRmction properly. According to a May 14,2007, Business Week article "Try This Suiton for Size, Boss," .several states, are con-sidering laws that could make workplacebulling an "unlawful employment prac-tice" and give victims the right to sue anemployer that fails to prevent it.

The CrookThese bosses prey on others for

their self-gain, taking credit for workthat was not their own or using theirpower to extort favors from others.When they are under fire, crooks fabri-cates incidents, falsit)' data, and manip-ulate people to protect themselves. Inhis 1994 article in Human Relations"Petty Tyranny in Organi-zations,"Blake Ashforth labeled this type of bossan "organizational mugger" because of

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ManagementWise

a lack of integrity and a belief that theend justifies the means.

The Know-It-AUKnow-it-ail bosses have the "I'm

always right" attitude, which is a con-stant irritant to subordinates. Whenanyone disagrees with them, they reactas if it were a personal contradiction

. rather than a simple difference of opin-ion, cutting off the conversation in anobvious huff. They usually act in a supe-rior, pompous, and pontifical manner.This self-serving attitude is a majorcontributor to the credibility problemwith subordinates.

The DodgerIt appears that dodgers have never

heard of the saying, "lead, follow, or getthe hell out the way." Dodgers areimmobilized by a conflict, and they willseldom discuss a topic that might pro-voke a strong negative reaction. Theyoften turn this style into a virtue byusing phrases such as "you catch moreflies with honey than with vinegar" orextol the wisdom of "causing no rip-ples." Many of their employees recog-

nize their reluctance to confront ques-tions of priority, impose a tight time-table, or personally be responsible foranything that makes life difficult forothers. Dodgers are under the continu-ous feeling of being inadequate andoverwhelmed by incoming demands foraction and decisions. In addition, whenthey are called upon to take a stand orto be forthright, dodgers will disappointtheir employees and often disappear.

The Walking Policy ManualMany employees refer to these bosses

as walking policy manuals. They place apremium on precedent, experience, andtradition. When they are asked any ques-tion about their decision, they will citethe policy, procedure, or rule they appliedin reaching their decision. They stick topolicy, no matter how dubious its origin,and forget objectives. However, whenthey begin to doubt the rightness of theirdecision, they schedule constant meet-ings for creation of consensus that focus-es on the meaningless details and arrivesat no concrete decisions. Having this typeof boss in any organization can producea whole culture dependent on meaning-

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less process. At the same time, it can leademployees to the most damaging vari-eties of stress - helplessness, anger, andfrustration.

Remedies: The Golden Road toBecoming a Better Boss

Organizational life can be full ofstress, tension, frustration, and pressure.Or it can be full of challenges, opportuni-ties, rewards, and persona! growth.Having to work with difficult bosses isone ofthe more common and importantreasons why employees dislike their jobs.In his book Management, Peter Druckerwrote that subordinates"... have a rightto be managed with competence, dedi-cation, and achievement. Subordinateshave a right to a boss who performs, forotherwise they themselves cannot per-form." That is, the general rule maybe laid down that bad employee per-formance reflects the existence of badmanagement.

'ITiose who want to be a better bossand avoid these paths to managerial self-destruction would be wise to rememberthat managing involves dealing with peo-ple who have unique emotions, percep-tions, cultural experiences, and socioeco-nomic backgrounds. Managing would beeasy if all bosses lived by the (Golden Ruleof Management; Manage as you wouldlike to be managed. As a resuit, regardlessof temperament or personality type, thefollowing points will help bosses copewith the challenges of managing in today swork environment:

Demonstrate a High Level ofIntegrity. I-.veryone agrees that integrityand honesty ensure that a boss behavesethically and is worthy of employees'trust and confidence. To ensure thispractice, openness is needed to receivepositive inputs. Always keep in mindthat integrity and honesty breed trust,and that will produce team action. Aboss can be fair, credible, and trustwor-thy with employees and involve them inthe development of working plans andactivities without compromising stan-dards or being permissive. When

5 4 The Informatiofl Monagsmsfit Journal • Jonuory/Fsbruary 2006

ManagementWise

employees are trusted, they tend toreciprocate.

Remove Fear from the Workplace.Bosses certainly have the power to makethe work life of an employee miserable.They can withhold raises, favor otherswith the interesting jobs, and engage inother ways to harass employees.However, fear is a powerful force. It canbe a source of malaise, be devastating onworkplace morale, and be fatal to orga-nizational success. Management studieshave consistently shown that there is acausal link between work climate andquality of work. Given these realities,bosses should strive to provide a consis-tent and supportive environment that isfree of fear, and seek to nurture anatmosphere of mutual boss-employeerespect.

Fight for Employees. Employees willbe more satistled with their jobs if theyfeel that their boss is on their side andwill aggressively support them. Thisincludes promoting with upper man-agement their careers and access toresources to do their jobs.

Help Them Save Face. People whofeel denigrated seldom change produc-tively. If the behavior of an employeeneeds changing, try to stay focused onwhat needs to be changed. Avoid iheaccusatory practice since it will not leadto self-development. The practice ofsaving face will present the boss in apositive light and will improve the boss'chances of closing down the offensiveactivities of employees.

Overcome a Lack of Trust. Somebosses are perennially suspicious of oth-ers. They may have been indoctrinatedto distru.st others by figures importantin their lives. A more effective approachis to encourage bosses to open up aboutflaws in their performance, and bossesmay want to consider the help of a pro-fessional counselor. Although the lack oftrust disorder may lead to a state ofparanoia, it can emotionally overloadthe boss and make it difficult for him tothink rationally. PI

Sami M. Abbasi, Ph.D., is Professor of Management at Norfolk State University, Norfolk,Va. He can be reached at smabbasi@nsu.ed. Ken W. Hollman. PluD., is Professor ofInsurance at Middle Tennessee State University, Mt4rfreeslw\\ Tenn. He can he reachedat khollman@mtsu.edu. Roitert D. Hayes, Ph.D., is Professor of Accounting & Law atTennessee State University, Nashvilk, Tenn. He can be reached at rhayes@tnstate.edu.

References

Ashtbrth, Blake. "Petty Tyranny in Oi^anizations," Human Relations (Volume 47, No. 7,1994).

Bennis, Warren, Spreitzer, Gretchen M., and Thomas G. Gummings. The Future of Leadership.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001.

Bing, Stanley. Crazy Bosses. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2007.

^oiso\, Usx. Knowledge Assets. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Drucker, Peter E Management. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1974.

Folger, Robert and Daniel P. Skarlicki, "Beyond Gounterproductive Work Behavior: MoralEmotions and Deontic Retaliation versus Reconciliation" in Suzy Fox and Paul E. Spalor.Counterproductive Work Behavior Washington, D. G.: American Psychological Association, 2005.

Hoover, lohn. How to Work for an Idiot. Eranklin Lakes, N.J.: Gareer Press, 2004.

Homstein, Harvey A. Brutal Bosses. New York, N.Y., Riverhead Boob, 1996.

loyce, Amy. "Toxic Workplaces," The Virginian-Pilot. November 17,2002.

Keating, Matt. "Work, Real Work: Regrets, We Have A Few," The Guardian, October 7,2006.

Kirwan-Taylor, Helen. "People Who Can't Let Go," Mariagermnt Today, March 2007.

Kramer, Roderick M. "The Great Intimidators," Harvard Business Review, February 2006.

Lubit, Roy H. Coping with Tadc Managers. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Peareon Education Inc., 2004.

Orey, Michael. "Try This Suit On for Size, Boss," Business Week, May 14,2007.

Paskoff, Stephen M. "Stamping Out Workplace Bullies," Workforce Management. July 23,2007.

Pearson, Christine M.I, Anderson, Lynne M., and Christine L. Porath. "Workplace Incivility,"in Suzy Fox and Paul E. Spector. Counterproductive Work Behiwior, Washington, D. C:American Psychological Association, 2005.

Pearson, Christine M., and Porath, Christine. "On the Nature, Consequences, and Remediesof Workplace Incivility: No Time for 'Nice'? Think >^ain," Academy of ManagementExecutives, February 2005.

Peter, Laurence ).; Raymond Hull. The Peter Principle: Wlty Things Alwap Go Wrong. NewYork: William Morrow & Company. Inc., 1968.

RavTier, Charlotte, and Keashly, Loraieigh. "Bullying At Work: A Perspective from Britain andNorth America," in Suzy Fox and Paul E. Spector. tx)unterproductive Work Behavior.Washington, D. C: American Psychological Association, 2005.

Stephan, Eric G., and R. Wayne Pace, Powerfid Leadership. Upper Saddle River, Nl: Prentice-Hall, 2002.

Toffler, Alvin. Po^mhifi. New York: Bantum Books, 1991.

Von Glinow, M A. The New Professional, Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger, 1988.

5 6 The Information ManogemanI Journol • January/Februory 2008