Bosses and Workplace Conflict

For many of us heading into a career when we are done

with college can be scary, but there is nothing worse than having

a toxic work environment due to a bad boss or supervisor. The

sad reality is that 9/10 people will be bullied or harassed by a

boss and supervisor during their career, and those workplace

relationships are essential to the success of the company

(Monahan, 1999). Workplace success is dependent on utilizing all the unique skills and

personalities that the employees bring to the company. Many people use others to enhance their

strengths and make up for their shortcomings, therefore it’s important that companies should

encourage a diverse workforce to highlight a variety of strengths (Farrell, 2014).

There is a problem when bosses and supervisors ignore the differences that make the

company or workplace unique and turn to abusive and harassing tactics in the workplace. This

can lead to the downfall of companies and a major loss in production throughout the company.

The 1964 civil rights act benchmarks harassment and is defined as behavior that produces a

hostile or intimidating work environment, hinder(ing) individual’s work or adversely affects

employment opportunity (Monahan, 1999). When it comes to power within companies it is safe

to say that the bosses or supervisors hold the most power, so it is important that they use their

power in the correct way.

 When it comes to toxic environments, there are 8 ways that bosses or supervisors create

tension in the workplace and those are deceit, constraint, coercion, selfishness, inequality,

cruelty, disregard, and deification ((Monahan, 1999). The hierarchical structure can also play

into how abusive bosses and supervisors and this

only can add fuel to the fire. There are 3 main

types of abusers in the workplace the dehumanizer

this is someone who takes out all emotion when

interacting with subordinates. This can make

people feel like they have no place in that work environment and this is when people start to

withdraw and become distant. The next type is the blamer and this person is someone who makes

people feel like shortcomings and issues within the company are all their fault. This can cause

people an immense amount of pressure, while also causing extreme second-guessing. The third

and final is the rationalizer this is someone who comes up with a reason for their conduct no

matter how bad their behavior is (Monahan, 1999).

There are ways to combat bosses and supervisors who abuse their power and create toxic

work environments, there are also 3 different ways to discuss conflict in the workplace. The first

one is changing the victims, this is a way of implementing and teaching workers ways to

effectively manage and deal with conflict and people they may not agree with. This helps by

teaching basics to people who might not have the tools to address conflicts that may appear in

the workplace. The second strategy is to change the abuser, this method holds the abuser

accountable for his or her actions by showing them how detrimental their behavior is to the

overall success of the workplace. Many companies s rely on the boss or supervisor to be the

point guard of the company and if they can’t lead effectively and are causing issues the company
will experience issues. The final strategy is to change the system and that’s when the workplace

is called upon to review how its interworking’s are conducted during the workday. This

reflection style is beneficial to companies due to its idea of changing the culture and allowing

overhauls where ever they are needed (YAN, BAIYIN, & LIN 2017).

It is important to recognize when you are in a situation that may be unhealthy to you or

others when in the workplace. When there is a situation dealing with abuse or harassment from a

boss or supervisor it’s important to seek out human resources or any third party that can help

facilitate the proper action (Burton & Hoobler, 2006). No one should ever feel attacked or unsafe

at work due to a boss or supervisors actions, starting a conversation can go a long way in starting

a major change within the workplace.

Works Cited

Farrell, M. (2014). Playing Nicely With Others. Journal Of Library Administration, 54(6), 501-
510. doi:10.1080/01930826.2014.953389
YAN, R., BAIYIN, Y., & LIN, M. (2017). LEADERS' SENSE OF POWER AND TEAM
PERFORMANCE: A MODERATED MEDIATION MODEL. Social Behavior &
Personality: An International Journal, 45(4), 641-656. doi:10.2224/sbp.5662

Monahan, D. M. (1999). Brutal bosses and their prey: How to identify and overcome abuse in the
workplace. International Journal of Conflict Management, 10(1), 85-88. Retrieved from
https://pioproxy.carrollu.edu

Burton, J. P., & Hoobler, J. M. (2006). Subordinate self-esteem and abusive supervision*.
Journal of Managerial Issues, 18(3), 340-355,298. Retrieved from
https://pioproxy.carrollu.edu