02/06/2024

How to Defuse Anger in the Workplace

Utilize humor, expert says

Whether it is pressing deadlines, overwork or employees feeling they are unsupported, anger in a work environment can be unavoidable. Over time, the anger and frustration can compound, causing anger to spread through the entire team or organization, creating what George Mason University expert Mandy O'Neill calls a "culture of anger."

In her research, O'Neill, an associate professor of management at Mason's School of Business, found that a culture of anger not only leads to problems for individuals, such as increased alcohol consumption, work-family conflict, and high-risk behaviors, but it also presents problems for teams as a whole.

In a study of a large retail organization, O'Neill found that employee anger stemmed from a culture in which employees did not feel supported by their managers, leading to more employee absences and higher turnover. Additionally, individual high-risk behaviors can lead to a decrease in workplace safety as a whole, including safety violations, accidents and injuries.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Phys.org.