Perhaps bad bosses should come with warning labels.
A notice pasted prominently on their foreheads could read: “Warning: This person could have an impact on the psychological and perhaps the physical well-being of his or her subordinates.”
Such a label might seem far-fetched, but in fact, researchers have been uncovering evidence that bad bosses can affect the wellness of employees, according to Brad Gilbreath, an assistant professor of Organizational Leadership and Supervision at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Gilbreath recently completed a study that found a supervisor’s behavior can be an important determinant of an employee’s psychological well-being.
Even when compared to other stress-inducing problems, a bad boss can make life even more difficult, Gilbreath found.
“A boss is either a source of stress or can diminish it,” said Gilbreath.
Sounds like common sense. Most of us spend at least a third of our waking hours at work each week. It seems to follow that the person who controls so much of your life could have a dramatic impact on your happiness and satisfaction.
But the sad fact is that most businesses don’t pay attention to the behavior of bosses, Gilbreath said. They only worry about immediate issues such as productivity, competition, threats of lawsuits or the bottom line.
There are lots of programs and seminars out there that teach the importance of time management or the dangers of sexual harassment, but there are none that teach bosses how to balance consideration and other positive factors with the need for productivity.
We’re a results-driven society and many organizations simply don’t care if employees are content.
But Gilbreath and other researchers — especially those in Europe — believe there might be quantifiable impacts on businesses with such attitudes.
Problems in the workplace have been linked to absenteeism, hypertension, depression, burnout, cardiovascular disease and presenteeism — the term used to describe employees who can’t concentrate or participate fully because of workplace stress.
Everyone agrees that some stress is a good thing. But too much causes some people to drink, smoke and take their problems home, Gilbreath said.
“One insurance person told me that Prozac prescriptions were one of their highest drug costs,” Gilbreath said, referring to the popular anti-depressant made by Eli Lilly.
“We know psychological health can affect physical health,” Gilbreath said. “And we know health-care costs are rising. If we can do things to reduce that negative trend, we should do it.”
Based on Gilbreath’s studies, bad bosses typically ignore employee suggestions, tend to be guarded, tend to leave some employees out of the communication loop, remain aloof from employees and create confusion by failing to communicate needed information.
Conversely, those perceived as good bosses typically are considerate, try to plan and balance the workload, deal effectively with employee complaints and try to see employees’ perspectives.
Gilbreath, who spent the first part of his career in human resources before moving into academia, suggested that company leaders should try to set a good example for proper managerial conduct.
Most people who are put in positions of authority simply ape the behavior of those above them or learn through trial and error.
Gilbreath said 360-degree reviews that include evaluations from peers and subordinates might also be a valuable tool to monitor the behavior of bosses.
“Teaching people to deep breathe isn’t addressing the underlying issues,” said Gilbreath. “Bringing in a magician once a year to loosen things up won’t help the situation.”
Instead, companies should recognize that the organizational threat caused by bad bosses is real and pay attention to it.
Ed Semmler’s The Bottom Line column appears on Sundays.
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