Stuck with a toxic boss? Study says a bad boss harms his own career

Do you wake up in the morning and your first thought is about how are you going to deal with your boss today? You feel your office is no less than a prison and your manager always has an upper hand at work? And you are looking for a new job because your senior has somehow made your professional life hell. Well, we feel your pain and have found something that might brighten up your day. Here’s some good, science-approved news for you!

A study done at the University of Michigan suggests that toxic managers suffer in the long run. The researchers conducted two studies where they collected data from participants working in different fields.

In the first study, the seniors were asked to send hostile messages to the team members who were not performing quite well. For instance, one of the text messages was “Member C, remember we have to work hard together and please use your head in the following task! Also, if you do not catch up, I will ensure you get nothing, buddy. This is all very easy but you are doing horribly. And it is simple: your scores are too low and you are bringing the score of all of us down! Shape up or ship out!” Horrible, isn’t it?

After this, the researchers analysed how these managers felt. Were they relaxed and satisfied after the communication or they felt tensed and anxious?

In the second study, the participants were surveyed every day in the morning and evening for two weeks on how they treated their employees. The researchers also analysed their mood, work environment and the tasks they did.

Interestingly, the study concluded that bullying and rude behaviour offered immediate relief as it helped managers to vent out their frustration. But this benefit was temporary. Aha! "Interestingly, the beneficial effects we observed appeared short-lived, because over longer periods of time (i.e., one week and beyond), average levels of abusive supervision were negatively related to supervisors’ recovery and engagement," stated one of the researchers.

The researchers pointed that the workers initially avoid confronting their abusive managers but eventually became aggressive, counterproductive and switched to new jobs. Who is ultimately at the receiving end?

Well, they say it right: Employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers. A manager’s rude behaviour might bring him or her some satisfaction but eventually, this would do more harm than good. "The moral of the story is that although abuse may be helpful and even mentally restorative for supervisors in the short term, over the long haul it will come back to haunt them," opined co-author Russell Johnson.

(All images used here are representational)