WORKPLACE HEALTH: Bullying behaviour is thriving as our offices become moral vacuums, writes Mark Harrold.
Not all psychopaths are murderers or rapists. There is a good chance that they are much closer at hand and in a workplace near you.
They are most likely wearing a suit, have a winning smile and the ability to charm any audience. However, behind this facade lies someone who often destroys lives - the workplace bully.
Bullies manipulate, lie and abuse power with abandon. Their targets encounter enormous pressure and very often end up leaving their jobs. Of additional concern is the manner in which many boards of management, unions, colleagues and even friends will stand aside and allow these thugs to operate with impunity once they have chosen their target.
There is extraordinary tolerance for their conduct, which is often excused as efficient management. A moral vacuum seems to prevail in many work settings, which allows this phenomenon to endure and even to thrive.
Thousands of people in Ireland are affected by bullying on a daily basis. Very often people may not be aware of what is happening to them until it is too late and their physical and mental health is damaged. So who are these miscreants who inflict so much hardship on their unfortunate colleagues?
There is little doubt that the root cause of the problems described above is the deviant personality of the perpetrator. There is a good chance that they were bullies at school and have carried their deviancy into the work setting. Research indicates that they are likely to come from a dysfunctional family, which is most often the origin of the deviant behaviour.
One of the first notable attributes of bullies is their Jekyll and Hyde manner of engaging with others. They are charming and even charismatic in one setting and as ruthless as a hardened criminal in another. They will crush any perceived threat like a fly, by whatever means - lying, cheating, manipulating, undermining and sabotage.
Author Sam Vaknin describes bullies as malignant narcissists. Other descriptions include egotistical, devious, envious, vindictive, callous, exploitative, dishonest, malicious, insecure, aggressive, inadequate, insensitive, menacing and having low self-esteem. However, they rarely if ever demonstrate these traits in an overt manner. Workplace bullies are covert operators and are unlikely to be witnessed engaging in their deeds.
Another notable characteristic of the workplace psychopath is emotional immaturity. They are quite insecure about their own competence and this is what drives them to attempt to undermine those whom they perceive as a threat. Their lack of sensitivity means they may even resort to any underhand tactic to take out a potential rival. It is hardly surprising that, according to Jacinta Kitt, lecturer, researcher and expert in the field of workplace bullying, they don't form relationships but take hostages.
Among others, Paul Dickens, a consultant psychologist in organisational development, has identified a frequent association of the workplace bully with fraud. He suggests that many of the recent business scandals (eg Enron) - and the many yet to be discovered - can be attributed to the unbalanced environment orchestrated by the workplace psychopath.
Workplace psychopaths create an environment of fear and unquestioning co-operation among their subordinates to facilitate their practice. Given that white collar crime has proven so lucrative to date, it is no wonder that there are so many of these thugs operating in the workforce.
How many people have been convicted of white collar crime in the past 10 years? The answer is hardly any. From the point of view of the workplace bully, their method of graft is a very safe and reliable one.
Despite the devastation they cause, these people contaminate countless workplaces and frequently do so without challenge.
They attempt to undermine the best workers while others look on. It is a localised version of the tyranny usually associated with despots of a bygone era.
The time has arrived to unmask the perpetrators of so much misery. The first step in doing this is to recognise them for what they are. The next step is to recognise why you may be the target of these bullies. That will be the topic of next week's article.
Dr Mark Harrold is a clinical psychologist, author, lecturer and broadcaster.