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Workplace Anger
Encyclopedia of Small Business, 2nd ed., (2002)
WORKPLACE ANGER
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Workplace anger and hostility often manifests itself in ways that have received a great deal of attention from business owners, researchers, legislators, and members of the business press in recent years. Workplace violence and sexual harassment are probably the two best known examples of workplace anger and hostility. But anger and hostility can manifest themselves in other less dramatic ways that can nonetheless have a tremendously negative impact on a business by producing an environment marked by poor or nonexistent communication, lousy morale, excessive employee absenteeism or turnover, and a host of other undesired conditions. Business owners, managers, and employees who are unable to control their own anger or effectively respond to the angry outbursts of others will likely find that their business and/or career suffers as a result. "Organizations which fail to recognize and deal effectively with this problem will suffer as a result," wrote Andrea Adams in Personnel Management. "They may be in breach of their legal duty to ensure their employees' health, safety and welfare, or guilty of unlawful discrimination, or open to a claim of constructive dismissal. Their costs will rise because of poor morale and productivity, higher absenteeism and staff turnover. They will find it difficult to attract new staff, and in extreme cases the damage to their image or reputation will mean loss of business."
Entrepreneurs, then, need to prepare themselves for the day when an employee's actions or words seem to be based on feelings of anger or hostility. Some small business owners underestimate the impact that workplace anger and hostility can have on their business and on their staff, and they do so at their peril. "One nasty crack that receives minimal attention from management can get half your work force stewing, not only creating low morale and an unpleasant work environment, but also severely cutting productivity," wrote Robert McGarvey in Entrepreneur .
Small business owners should be aware that failure to address workplace hostilities can also open them up to legal liability. Moreover, the person who engages in hostile workplace behavior does not have to be an owner or supervisor for the business owner to be vulnerable to charges concerning that person's behavior, because in the eyes of the law, business owners have the power and obligation to control their employees.
CAUSES OF WORKPLACE ANGER AND HOSTILITY
Workplace hostility can often be traced to attitudes that have little to do with the current employment situation in which workers find themselves. Deep-seated feelings of hostility toward other people because of their gender, skin color, sexual orientation, political beliefs, or other factors are often firmly in place long before the person begins working at your company. Often, the small business owner faced with such an employee will have limited options available to deal with such problems; instead, he or she will concentrate efforts on making sure that those undesired attitudes do not disrupt the workplace.
Factors that cause workplace anger, on the other hand, can sometimes be addressed directly. While workplace anger sometimes can be traced back to prejudices that are at the root of deep-seated hostility, on many other occasions, work-oriented factors serve as the primary catalysts. Common causes of workplace anger include:
General harassment, whether sexual or some other form. Favoritism of one employee over another. Rejection (whether arbitrary or for good reason) of a proposal or project in which employee has big emotional investment. Insensitivity by owners or managers. Criticisms of employees in front of staff or clients. Depersonalized workplace environment. Unfair (or tardy) performance appraisals or criticism. Lack of resources for the employee to meet his/her objectives. Inadequate training. Lack of teamwork. Withdrawal of earned benefits. Betrayal of trust extended to manager or owner. Unreasonable demands on employees. Does not keep promises. Lack of flexibility on part of owner or manager. Poor communication. Feedback is wholly or primarily negative in tone. Absentee leadership (such as instances wherein needed disciplinary action is absent). Micromanagerial environment in which staff decisionmaking opportunities are limited.
Of course, sometimes a distinction must be made between legitimate and illegitimate catalysts of workplace anger. For example, an employee may express great anger over a negative performance review even though the appraisal was conducted fairly and honestly. Small business owners and managers cannot jettison basic principles of management simply to avoid making one of their employees angry.
Sarcastic, irritable, or moody behavior Apathetic and/or inconsistent work performance Prone to making direct or veiled threats Aggressive and antisocial behavior Overreaction to company policies or performance appraisals Touchy relationships with other workers Obsessive involvement and/or emotional attachment to job
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