Employees report their bosses use threats and intimidation during the financial crisis, according to a national study of leadership funded by the University of Phoenix. “Questions get you written up and/or fired,” one worker said. The study’s results also showed employees increasing distrust what their bosses say.
Increased belligerent behavior and eroding employee trust are disturbing leadership trends in the financial crisis, according to the study’s researchers, Dr. Ruby Rouse and Dr. Richard Schuttler. Employees repeatedly described threatening communication:
According to Rouse, some supervisors seem to purposefully foster a “culture of fear” to maintain control during the financial crisis. “Several people believe employers are using the crisis as an excuse to ‘throw people under the bus,’” she said.
Despite significant economic changes, leaders reportedly have not changed the way they communicate with employees. Approximately 64% of working adults in the study reported supervisors use a ‘business as usual’ mentality during the crisis; 82% of working adults expressed frustration with supervisors’
“But it’s not all doom and gloom,” Schuttler said, 41% of participants described their leaders as effective. Working adults expressed a strong preference for leaders who are transparent, honest, and visible. The majority (55%) of participants who shared open-ended comments recommended increased supervisor openness; 33% wanted more honesty.
The study, which analyzed the perceptions of 1,150 working adults in the United States, compared the leadership and communication skills of supervisors in various industries.
