In the outskirts of Nakuru, here in Kenya, two managers at a leading agricultural firm embody starkly contrasting approaches to workplace dynamics, encapsulating divergent outcomes.
Patrick Kipkemoi, a senior manager, has seen his department’s performance stutter and morale dip alarmingly. Known for his short temper, Patrick often disregards the impact of his harsh criticisms and impatient demands on his team.
His aggressive management style therefore fostered an environment rife with tension and apprehension, leading to a noticeable drop in team collaboration and individual performance.
Conversely, Esther Njeri, who leads a neighbouring department, exemplifies a more enlightened approach. She maintains a keen awareness of her team’s interpersonal dynamics and prioritises a culture of respect and support.
Esther’s department serves as a testament to the positive effects of such an environment. Her team members feel valued and respected, leading to enhanced cooperation and a noticeable increase in both individual output and collective achievements.
The stark contrast between both Patrick’s and Esther’s departments acts as a living case study of the significant impact that managerial attitudes and behaviours can have on employee performance and overall workplace harmony.
In the contemporary workplace, aggression now transcends the boundaries of minor irritations to pose serious challenges that ripple across organisational fabrics, affecting employee performance and, consequently, the bottom line.
New research spearheaded by Rui Zhong, Jingxian Yao, Yating Wang, Zhanna Lyubykh, and Sandra Robinson peeled back layers of this pervasive issue, presenting a nuanced understanding that could guide organisations toward more effective interventions instead of conventional logic.
The study involves a stunningly meticulous meta-analysis encompassing data from over 149,000 participants worldwide, scrutinises the underlying mechanisms that translate workplace aggression into diminished employee output. It reveals that not all forms of aggression impact performance equally.
Whereas as professionals, we previously often categorised all aggression into the same negative bucket.
But now rather with the new research, the different effects are mediated through specific psychological pathways including relationship quality between the aggressor and staff member, fairness perceptions about conditions within the entity, the psychological strain within the organisation, existing negative effects, and the state self-evaluation.
Delving deeper, the degradation of relationship quality in the workplace, a direct fallout of aggressive interactions, does not just sour the office atmosphere.
But it actually significantly lowers task performance and citizenship behaviour. Workers put in extra effort through voluntary activities that are not formally required in their jobs but are quite crucial for a harmonious workplace. Meanwhile, it boosts negative deviant behaviours, a disturbing yet logical response from employees feeling marginalised or underappreciated.
Moreover, the cultural backdrop against which these interactions occur plays a pivotal role. The study highlights how cultural dimensions at a national, regional, and local level like how individualistic a society is or how masculine it presents itself can amplify or dampen down the effects of these mechanisms.
In more individualistic cultures, where personal achievement is often prized above collective wellbeing, the impact of aggression on an employee’s self-evaluation and psychological strain is particularly more pronounced. But in a slightly more collectivist culture like here in Kenya, then the negative effect from aggression would be less.
The above comprehensive research not only broadens our understanding as business executives, but also acts as a wake-up call for leaders. The cost of ignoring workplace aggression is not just a dip in morale but a tangible decline in productivity that can amount to billions of shillings lost annually.
Leaders are urged to move beyond superficial remedies and consider systemic changes that address the core of the problem. Create an environment where respect and fairness are not just encouraged but embedded in the organisational ethos and supervisory aggression gets punished.
As our East African businesses continue to navigate the complexities of modern workforce management, the insights from the study provide a crucial roadmap. They underscore the importance of fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and respected, thus safeguarding not only individual well-being but also the overall health of the organisation.
Then those at the helm in c-suites, the message grows even clearer. In the battle against workplace aggression, become proactive and utilise culturally sensitive strategies that are no longer optional but are essential for survival and competitive success.
