Dark Side Behaviors - Essay Example

Running Head: DARK SIDE BEHAVIORS Dark Side Behaviors Culture and Cuisine Tutor Date Dark Side Behaviors Introduction Basically, dark side behaviours lead into negative results. These results, in turn are conceivably best conceptualized as costs. The costs that result from dark side behaviours can take different forms. For instance, they can be real and measurable costs, for instance, stealing a company’s property. Still, they can be indirect and subjective cost where suboptimal organizational decision making to encourage an individual objective/plan (Christine, 2007). Behaviours might show themselves at the individual or group levels. Mostly, these behaviours demonstrate choices by those people or the groups. This means that a person will choose if to ratify a positive behaviour, for instance being hardworking, upholding honesty or treating other workers fairly. A person can also choose to enact a negative behaviour, for example performing far much below one’s abilities, being dishonest and treating other people unfairly. In the same way, members of the group will work jointly in ways that are positive, for example making valuable decisions, working collaboratively with other groups or negative, making suboptimal decisions, working against other groups. Lastly, if the dark side behaviors take place, they lead to negative outcomes for the person, the group as well as the organization (Mumford, 2003). Types of Dark Side Behaviours within Organizations Since the is broad category of dark side behaviours, it is important to classify them in terms of if the costs of a certain dark side behaviour are incurred chiefly by particular people within certain or the organization in general. For example, if the behaviour being assessed engages sexual harassment, practically everybody would agree that the initial concerns concerning the negative outcomes of the behaviour are for the person or people being harassed. Even if the organization might also suffer negative outcomes in terms of dented and reduced morale or negative publicity, the person or people being harassed bear the main costs (Laetitia, 2006). But assume a person deliberately and with intent discloses proprietary information regarding a new product advance to someone outside the organization. In case such information gets to a competitor that is as a result able to react in a defensive fashion, organization is the first one that incurs the primary costs of this behaviour by losing competitive advantage. Even if the people involved may suffer because of this dark side behaviour, it is the organization which will be directly affected (Valle, 2005). When the costs of the dark side behaviours are principally with people or groups of people, such kind of behaviours are known as behaviours deleterious to human welfare. As a result, it is important to further classify the behaviours in terms of if the costs of individual’s dysfunctional behaviours are borne principally by others or by that person. For example, the costs of sexual harassment are borne first and foremost by the person being harassed sexually. But if a person’s dysfunctional behaviour is abuse of drugs within the workplace, it is that individual who is liable to bear the utmost costs. Apparently, there are also latent secondary impacts from both kinds of behaviours. For instance, the person involved in the harassing behaviours might also suffer in losing the employment in case the complaint files a complaint, therefore also getting affecting by the negative consequences. Likewise, erratic behaviours by the person abusing drugs might cause accidents that are harmful to others (Kevin, 2003). The other main classification of dark side involves behaviours injurious to the organization. These behaviours are the ones that lead into negative outcomes that are principally borne by the organization itself, and not any person. Still, there are two categories. For instance, dark side can lead in specific and measurable costs. If a worker steals a computer from his or her employer, the organization has therefore incurred specific initial costs allied to the actual costs of buying the computer, in addition to the costs of investigating the theft and replacement the stolen property (Strange, 2005). Other kinds of dark side behaviour can lead in negative outcomes for the organization, even though of a form that is skewed, indefinite, and difficult, if not possible, to measure. For example, let us take a case of a manager with average performance-connected skills but with outstanding strong management expertise. By competently utilizing the impression management expertise, the manager can be promoted before others with stronger performance-connected skill, even to the point of finally reaching a high-level position within the organization. Consequently, the overall performance of the given department under this manager’s control can be less compared to what it would have been had a different, more qualified manager being offered this position (Valle, 2005). Dark Side Behaviours Injurious to Others We have numerous forms of dark side behaviours that can damage the well being of an individual and also have negative effect on others. These can either be mental violence, oral violence, sexual harassment, physical violence and also malpractices at work place. The oral and the mental brutality can be determined by how people relate with each other in an organization set up which can be taken into a number of various forms. However, quite a number of this is beneficial and can build a person but others have small or no effect at all while others have detrimental effect on people (Christine, 2007). Sometime managers and supervisors have power to criticize workers and punish them but should be careful not to intimidate them but curb their behaviours. This will assist them in modifying the upcoming behaviours of workers and enhances excellent result and also this covers them from being sucked from work .Oral and mental abuse can be brought about by how individuals relating with each other. A case study was conducted in United States within a period of one year and it was concluded that about six million employees are coursed and the other sixteen million are victim of abuse (Christine, 2007). .However these behaviours are outdated and can bring about wide display of unfavourable conclusion which aims at group where victim of that abuse belongs. It’s concluded that this people have been instilled fear in them and they feel very insecure and stressed out and they have low self image. Due to increase in the number of people who have been orally or mentally abused fear and hostility has been triggered in an organization and the abused people aim to execute revenge on the abusers (Valle, 2005). Physical Violence Workers are more traumatized when they are involved in physical violence and more numbers are increasing per year. Several cases of murder have been reported in work places which have increased death rate among workers and it’s noted that females are the most affected. Workplace homicide has been rated the most upcoming form of murder in United States. In the latest study conducted in organizations in span of four years out of 25 percent of the murder case committed at least one death case had occurred in the workplace (Valle, 2005). The most common form of physical violence in place of work is referred to as homicide though there are other forms of physical violence which occurs without taking one’s life .They involve being battered by either getting slapped, hit, pushed or even being raped .A writer who had conducted one study concluded that United States employees exceeding two million were bodily attacked every new year. When physical violence is involved the casualty has to endure a lot of pain and agony, in addition to that a lot of money is spent on medical bills. Sometime when death is involved mostly it results to psychological distress and a lot of work time is wasted (Valle, 2005). The cost incurred due to physical violence is not only borne by the victim but it also involves other people like witnesses, relatives, and workmates and also observers. When the person behind it is known he takes full responsibility both socially and financially sometime he might be terminated from work. The organization is also affected when the workplace murders occurs within because there involved in the payment of hospital bills ,lawful bills ,work time is misused and also its public image is destroyed (William, 2005). Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse combines all type violence but sometime it’s termed as different type of dark side behaviour in the place of work although it’s considered by managers. Media and even researchers as the other form of violence it destroys oneself image causes stress and harm a person physically. This affects the organization and even the victim both them financially and socially (Valle, 2005). General Unsafe Work Practices This is the last classification of dark side behaviours principally injurious to the others. Examples consist of using equipment or machinery in manner that diverges from standard practice such as permitting unauthorized people to get into company’s premises or careless driving. The probable costs of such behaviours to other people include grave injury or even death. Costs to the organization consists of medical and legal charges, productivity loss, government interference and control, spoiled public relations as well as the invasive effects of unauthorized people into the sensitive work areas (William, 2005). Dark Side Behaviours that Harm Self Other dark side behaviours harmful to human welfare take their key toll on the person perpetrating the behaviour. Some of these kinds of behaviour include, drug abuse, smoking, certain unsafe work practices in addition to alcohol (Jill, 2005). Alcohol and Illegitimate Drug Abuse The likely effects of the alcohol and illegitimate drug abuse on the particular person include physiological harm to the body, economic hardship because of the costs of acquiring the drugs and alcohol, interpersonal intricacies as well as impaired judgment and poor decision making. Legal sanctions can also be incurred in some instances (Christine, 2007). From the view of the organization, alcohol and illegitimate drug abuse at work can lower the worker’s performance and increased accident rates, absenteeism, turnover in addition to insurance premiums (William, 2005). Smoking Generally, the dysfunctional aspect of smoking behaviours is the same as that of alcohol and drug abuse but it is different is some noteworthy ways. For instance over drinking can lead to legal consequences and illegal drugs can also lead to this. But there are no legal consequences of tobacco smoking for the adults. Therefore, whereas most organizations prohibit smoking in the working area, most of them offer selected smoking areas for smoking. The costs of the individual smoker are well documented and may be reviewed just by evaluating the warning labels on the cigarette package. Smoking leads to several diseases which include respiratory problems (Jill, 2005). To the organization, the costs of smoking consist of increased insurance premiums, lost productivity since the employees move to and fro to the smoking zone as well as the costs of monitoring compliance with smoking regulations (Valle, 2005). Specific Unsafe Work Practices There are several precise unsafe work practices that are likely to harm the person. For instance, a worker who uses heavy equipment without wearing the required safety equipment is risking injury. Likewise, inappropriately lifting of the heavy boxes, not using the seat belt while driving on company activities and inaccurately handling of hazardous chemical might all lead in serious injury to the person. Added costs to the organization consist of productivity loss, medical and legal costs as well as property damage (Jill, 2005). Suicide In case of suicide, the person who commits the suicide bears the primary costs. But the effects of suicide are largely acknowledged. Apart from the obvious grief of the individual’s family, colleagues and other business associates will suffer as well. The organization is also likely to lose a worker who was probably very productive and important to the organization (Jill, 2005). Dark Side Behaviours Harmful To the Organization Dark Side Behaviours with Specific Financial Costs Dark side behaviours resulting in specific costs to the organization can be independently measured and associated to their related financial impact on the organization. Such behaviours consist of unsuitable absenteeism or lateness, theft of organization assets, damaging of organization’s assets and breaching of organization’s laws and codes (Hogan, 2001). Unsuitable Absenteeism or Lateness Practically all workers within an organization will sporadically be absent from work because of being sick, family emergencies and alike suitable reasons. Similarly, a worker can be late for work because of car problems, traffic jams and such reasons. And any given worker might be absent from work for an extended time because of a severe sickness or injury. None of all these, fall in the dark side ring. Even if they have financial costs to the organization, they are routine and necessary element of doing business and their related costs are absolutely or clearly accounted for through means like leave allocations (Christine, 2007). But some workers abuse their worker’s sick leave benefits. For instance, they might report sickness just because they do not want to work on that day. Some workers habitually use sick days to extend their employer’s vacation or individual time allocation. Or they can overstate minor ailments to get additional time off. Similarly, some employees can be late for work, just because they oversleep or make negligible efforts to meet their employer’s work program start times. In all these instances, the organization gets financial costs in the form of lost productivity. Other costs consist of those related to development and supervising an attendance policy, training of replacement employees and such things (Hogan, 2001). Theft of Organization Assets or Property Organization properties such as office supplies, computers, and machineries are some of the main targets of theft. Direct embezzlement of organization’s money is a serious cost to the organization. Misusing of organization’s services such as telephone calls are also additional costs to the organization (Price, 2003). Destruction of Organization Assets or Property Workers also at times involve in dark side behaviours intended to harm or destroy organization’s assets and property. Such behaviours are comparable to verbal or psychological and physical violence. Examples of such behaviours include destruction of organization’s valuable information, machine breaking or introducing viruses into computers. In the long run, the organization bears the costs of production (Price, 2003). Violation of Organization’s Laws and Codes For instance, a worker who inappropriately disposed toxic wastes, a manager who deliberately discriminates in hiring practices and a construction supervisor who deliberately breaches local building code are all behaving in manners that can end in organization incurring additional costs. These costs will normally come within the form of legal penalties and compensations (Alvesson, 2000).  Dark Side Behaviours with Non-Specific Financial Costs Destructive Political Behaviours Such behaviours refer to intentional efforts by individuals to utilize power to precede favoured course of action. Some of these political behaviours can lead to actual costs for the organization. For instance, if a manager, if a manager utilizes political behaviour to advance a specific course of action that will promote his career but which is suboptimal for the organization, this behaviour is dysfunctional and lead to costs for the organization. Similarly, in case a manager utilizes political behaviour to get a friend a promotion who is less qualified when compared to the other candidates, such behaviour is dysfunctional and leads to costs for the organization (Price, 2003). In Appropriate Impression Management Behaviours Impression is an ordinary strategy used by people within organization to advance their own careers. A person can use impression management to an extreme until an entirely false image is created. If this image leads into such an individual getting a promotion instead of more qualified people, the organization can incur costs as a result of the ensuing performance of that person (Hogan, 2001). Breach of Confidentiality Organization members at times have information that is proprietary and that is significant to entities outside the organization. Examples include imminent technological breakthroughs, planned competitive strategies and alike sensitive information. In case these people divulge the information in manner that benefits the outside entities to the disadvantage of the organization, the organization incurs costs (Strange, 2005). Conclusion Dark side behaviours have potentially ruinous outcomes in an organization. The easy will focus on several dark side behaviours, how they manifest in the place of work and more outstandingly the negative effects on a person’s career, on their fellow employees as well as the success of the organization. This is because in the long run these behaviours result into numerous costs for the organization (Strange, 2005). References Alvesson, M. (2000).  Doing critical management research.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage Publications. Christine, D. (2007). "The Dark Side of Behavior at Work: Understanding and Avoiding Employees Leaving, Thieving and Deceiving". Management Research News. Vol. 30/ 6. Hogan, J. (2001). Assessing leadership: A view from the dark side. International Journal of Selection & Assessment. Vol.9, 40-51. Jill, M. (2005). The Dark Side of Organizational Behavior. Personnel Psychology. Vol. 2/3. Kevin, J. (2003). The dark side of online consumer behavior: a comparison of privacy motivators in the United States, Canada and Australia. Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development. Vol. 1/3. Mumford, M. (2003). Leadership and destructive acts: Individual and situational influences. Leadership Quarterly. Vol. 4, 115-147. Price, TL. (2003). The ethics of authentic transformational leadership. Leadership Quarterly. Vol. 14, 67-81. Laetitia, B. (2006). Fighting Non-cooperative Behavior in Organizations: The Dark Side of Sanctions, in Professor Elizabeth Mannix, Professor Margaret Neale (ed.) Ethics in Groups (Research on Managing Groups and Teams, Volume. Vol. 8/1. Ricky, W. (2004). The dark side of organizational behavior. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2004. Strange, J. (2005). The Dark Side of Organizational Behavior. Personnel Psychology. Vol. 3/5. Valle, M. (2005). A Preliminary Model of Abusive Behavior in Organizations. Southern Business Review. Vol. 1/1. William, R. (2005). The dark side of close relationships. London: Routledge. Read More