Science says there are basically two types of bad bosses - dysfunctional or dark

19/12/2016 - 10:56:50Back to World Home

Ever wondered what’s wrong with your boss? Science may have an answer.
According to psychologists, bad bosses come in one of two forms: dysfunctional or dark.
If your manager looks like he is more on the dysfunctional side – something like David Brent from The Office – then chances are they are causing you a great deal of stress. Not that it’s any consolation, but scientists say they don’t deliberately want to cause you harm.
Dr Seth Spain, one of the researchers from the State University of New York, said: “They don’t want to hurt you.

“Through lack of skill, or other personality defects, they’re just not very good at their job. Largely, that’s what we would call ‘dysfunctional’.”
However, dark bosses – like Gordon Gekko from the film Wall Street – are likely to display destructive behaviour and hurt others to elevate themselves.
If your boss is anything like the Wall Street trader, then beware of his or her “Dark Triad” of personality traits – machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy.

Spain adds: “These are people who enjoy the pain and suffering of others – they’re going to be mean, abusive and harassing in daily life.”

As part of their study, researchers looked at behavioural traits of bosses to identify distinct types of poor-performing managers.
They believe understanding the personalities of managers or team leaders could help shine a light on how employees experience stress at work.

Spain adds: “A person’s direct supervisor is a lens through which they view their work experience. We think, in particular, that a boss can be an incredibly substantial source of stress for people who work for them.