Friday, August 27, 2021

How Organizations Create Bullies

 


Adams' Equity Theory of Job Motivation may help to explain how some workplace policies and procedures, noninclusive reward and recognition programs, and unfair growth and development practices may help create bullies in the workplace. Based on needs and expectations, employee satisfaction depends on fair inputs and outputs. When an imbalance occurs, and unfairness is perceived, employee retention drops, accident and injury increases, and employee competition for limited resources increase.

Debra Stewart PsyD. MBA





 

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

COVID Vaccination and the Pressure to Conform

 


 The growing pressure to become fully vaccinated leaves some individuals feeling bullied and without reasonable choices and personal freedoms. For example, employers may mandate vaccination, or employees may face mandatory testing or other penalties if they are not vaccinated. During these difficult times of feeling pressured to conform, how do we make good decisions based on the greater good? Psychology informs us that conformity is neither good nor bad until we assign a social reward, threat level, or fear type. As we calculate losses and gains in a decision driven by self-regard and the regard for others, polar conflicts between reason and emotion happen that may challenge personal identity and purpose. Feeling bullied is a reasonable emotion from such conflict unless you genuinely examine the meaning you assign to conformity and why it matters in self-regard and the regard of others.

-Dr. Stewart