Is quiet quitting a silent killer?
New research has found that rude behavior in the workplace can have “potentially life-threatening consequences” for those affected and others.
“In many workplaces, rudeness is treated as a minor interpersonal problem,” said Amir Erez, a researcher at the University of Florida. “Our research shows that it is a major threat to productivity and even safety. Organizations should treat it that way.”
The new study, now published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that in several industries, such as healthcare, people who are insulted by rude colleagues have their performance jeopardized by limiting their ability to perform.
According to one of the studies, “mild rude comments” impaired the performance of a medical team by 44%.
At the team level, rudeness led to selfish behavior among colleagues and stifled “the cooperation and coordination essential for effective teamwork.”
This was particularly evident in the mutual sharing of workload and information.
In the health care system, it led to “poorer delivery of life-saving measures.”
“It’s a stark reminder that the way we treat each other has real consequences, especially in critical situations,” said researcher Jake Gale of Indiana University.
Although the medical field is considered the most life-threatening profession and therefore rules of conduct must be observed, appropriate treatment of colleagues should be common practice in all professions, the researchers preach.
In short, the morale of a team or company depends on it.
The researchers stress that companies should introduce appropriate training to help employees focus on “resilience and mindfulness.”
“As our understanding of workplace dynamics evolves, our research underscores a crucial point: In the search for high-performing teams, sometimes the smallest courtesies can make the biggest difference,” Erez said.
