Bad managers can have a pronounced negative impact on employee health as well as productivity, according to experts.
At the American Psychological Association's annual conference, expert Robert Hogan indicated that bad management is a major cause of stress in modern life. That, in turn, detracts from both physical and psychological well-being, causing stressed individuals to experience decreased health and weakening their immune systems, USA Today notes. It may also serve as a distraction and create a poor work atmosphere and environment, whereas good management can forge employees into a team and encourage their loyalty to an employer.
"Seventy-five percent of working adults say the worst aspect of their job – the most stressful aspect of their job – is their immediate boss," Hogan said. "Bad managers create enormous health costs and are a major source of misery for many people."
Other experts agree that supervisors and managers can have a more profound effect on those they oversee than many might expect. Some employers are focusing on the issue, largely with efforts to strengthen employee engagement or satisfaction. Disengaged or less-engaged employees may work less efficiently, become less invested in projects and, in the end, accomplish less in the same amount of time.
Hogan noted that research has shown work may be the leading source of stress in modern life, and is more strongly associated with health problems than stress from other sources. It also suggests that alienating employees may be a leading threat to business success. It may be difficult to determine how strong an impact bad management has, since it is somewhat intangible. What experts say, however, indicates that it may impact every aspect of a company, from productivity to employee benefit costs.
Management issues and related problems
One professor told the news source that part of the problem is that managers who tend to get promoted do not necessarily have the best qualities in terms of how they handle employees. Those who reach the top tier may be driven by ambition, which can sometimes lead to selfishness and an attitude that harms morale. This is not always the case, but the trend is fairly prevalent.
The manager is not always at fault when there are problems with employees, however. Experts note that workers may choose jobs they are not well-suited to, whether as a matter of corporate culture or the work itself. These and other issues can cause stress just as much as bad management, so companies should ensure they do not cast blame where it is undeserved.
