Staff performance: The cost of ignoring workplace bullying

On the outskirts of Nakuru, here in Kenya, two managers at a leading agricultural firm embody starkly contrasting approaches to workplace dynamics, encapsulating divergent outcomes.

Patrick Kipkemoi, a senior manager, saw his department’s performance stutter and morale drop alarmingly. Known for his short temper, Patrick often ignores the impact of his harsh criticism and impatient demands on his team.

Therefore, his aggressive management style fostered an environment filled with tension and fear, leading to a noticeable decline in team collaboration and individual performance.

In contrast, Esther Njeri, who heads a neighboring department, exemplifies a more enlightened approach. She maintains a keen awareness of the interpersonal dynamics of her team and prioritizes a culture of respect and support.

Esther’s department serves as a testament to the positive effects of such an environment. Her team members feel valued and respected, which leads to increased cooperation and a visible increase in both individual results and collective achievements.

The stark contrast between Patrick’s and Esther’s departments acts as a vivid case study of the significant impact that managerial attitudes and behaviors can have on employee performance and overall workplace harmony.

In the contemporary workplace, aggression now transcends the boundaries of minor irritations to raise serious challenges that ripple through organizational structures, affecting employee performance and, consequently, the bottom line.

New research led by Rui Zhong, Jingxian Yao, Yating Wang, Zhanna Lyubykh, and Sandra Robinson has peeled back layers of this pervasive problem, presenting a nuanced understanding that could guide organizations toward more effective interventions instead of conventional logic.

The study involves an amazingly meticulous meta-analysis of data from more than 149,000 participants worldwide, looking at the underlying mechanisms that translate workplace aggression into decreased employee productivity. It reveals that not all forms of aggression influence performance equally.

Whereas as professionals, we previously often lumped all bullying into the same negative bucket.

But now, rather, with the new research, the various effects are mediated through specific psychological pathways, including the quality of the relationship between the abuser and the staff member, fairness perceptions of conditions within the entity, psychological strain within the organization, existing negative effects, and the state self. – evaluation.

The deepening, degrading quality of workplace relationships, a direct consequence of aggressive interactions, doesn’t just add to the office atmosphere.

But it actually significantly decreases task performance and citizenship behavior. Workers make an extra effort through volunteering activities that are not officially required in their workplaces, but are quite essential for a harmonious workplace. Meanwhile, it fosters negative deviant behaviors, a troubling but logical response from employees who feel marginalized or underappreciated.

Moreover, the cultural background against which these interactions take place plays an essential role. The study highlights how national, regional and local cultural dimensions, such as how individualistic a society is or how masculine it presents itself, can amplify or moderate the effects of these mechanisms.

In more individualistic cultures, where personal achievements are often valued above the collective well-being, the impact of aggression on the employee’s self-evaluation and psychological strain is particularly pronounced. But in a slightly more collectivist culture like here in Kenya, then the negative effect of aggression would be less.

The comprehensive research above not only expands our understanding as business executives, but also acts as a wake-up call for leaders. The cost of ignoring workplace bullying is not just a drop in morale, but a tangible drop in productivity that can amount to billions of shillings lost annually.

Leaders are urged to move beyond superficial fixes and consider systemic changes that address the core of the problem. Create an environment where respect and fairness are not only encouraged but embedded in the organizational ethos, and supervisory aggression is punished.

As our businesses in East Africa continue to navigate the complexities of modern workforce management, the insights from the study provide a crucial road map. They emphasize the importance of fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and respected, thereby protecting not only individual well-being but also the overall health of the organization.

Then those at the helm in the c-suite, the message becomes even clearer. In the fight against workplace bullying, become proactive and employ culturally sensitive strategies that are no longer optional but essential to survival and competitive success.