Workplace Anger

Related Terms: Human Resource Management; Workplace Violence

Workplace anger and hostility often manifest 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 most commonly written about forms 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, sagging 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 that fail to recognize and deal effectively with the problem of workplace anger may end up with even more serious problems with which to deal. Inappropriate displays of anger can lead to all sorts of undesirable outcomes and, in the most serious cases, a company may even be legally liable if they allow a hostile environment to persist.

Of course, many small businesses will never be confronted with the challenge of addressing and correcting problem workers who behave in an angry or hostile manner toward coworkers or customers. This may be because very small firms may not have employees at all. But, even firms with employees often feature a positive work environment and employ staff that enjoy their jobs and relate to one another in a professional manner. But most small business owners that have a payroll will eventually encounter someone who exhibits angry or hostile behavior and looms as a potential threat to the financial and/or spiritual health of the organization.

The problem of angry outbursts is a growing problem in society generally. Robert D. Ramsey writes about the seemingly epidemic levels to which anger in our society has grown in recent years in an article that appeared in the magazine Supervision. He put it this way. "It's a modern day epidemic. Rage rules. On the road. In the airways. At sports events. And increasingly, on the job as well'¦. Anger is a dictator that can control lives and drive behavior. It blots out reason and blurs good judgment. Worst of all, it can lead to dangerous outbursts of violence or other destructive behaviors. Obviously, anger has no legitimate place in any business, office, shop or factory. When it occurs, someone has to see that it doesn't take root or take over the workplace. If managers don't do it, who will?"

Entrepreneurs, like all business leaders, 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 employee who lashes out inappropriately can cause a decline in a company's general morale, can cause friction with colleagues, can cause enough distraction that productivity declines and may even be distracting enough to pose a safety hazard.

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 an employee has a significant 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.
• Downsizing.
• 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.

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