A culture ofbullyingis common in IT, leading to
poor productivity and high staff turnover, IT professionals have
told Computer Weekly.
IT professionals wrote into Computer Weekly about their
experiences, following
research from trade union Unite which showed that nearly
two-thirds had been bullied during their careers.
The problem is a pressing one for IT managers, with some staff
concluding that leaving the company is often the only solution.
Finding good staff to replace leavers is difficult in a job market
experiencing skills shortages.
A bullying culture can also affect the productivity, morale and
performance of a department. Staff who are bullied, or affected by
bullying, also take more sick leave, usually because of
stress-related illness.
Departmental damage
Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health
at the University of Lancaster, said the targets of bullying were
not the only victims.
"It damages the whole department," said Cooper. "Bullying
affects the performance and health of anyone who witnesses it."
And Peter Skyte, national officer at Unite, said bullying could
cause problems for the business as a whole.
"Companies can get a bad reputation," he said. "This can make it
harder to get good staff, and can even affect getting contracts for
projects. It really puts the whole organisation at risk."
IT professionals who contacted Computer Weekly criticised a lack
of openness and accountability at the top, micro-management and
over-scrutiny, and a lack of appropriate training.
Some victims said their situation only got worse when they
confronted the bully. Some said that senior managers, who were
supposed to help find a solution, were part of the problem, leaving
the victim with little option but to move to another company.
"Reporting bullying to a line manager will, if they are part of
the problem, probably result in even worse treatment," one
professional said. "To be effective, you need to take your case
directly to the person at the top. Good leaders will be surprised
and disgusted at your treatment."
Mistaken loyalty
Another target of bullying advised workers not to stay loyal to
a firm that refuses to help. He said, "With hindsight, I should
have listened to my intuition and changed firm sooner. My mistake
was to remain loyal to the firm I was working for. My problem was
led by a director of the company, and HR was useless.
"I strongly believe there is a need for fundamental change to
the way managers are selected and trained."
One woman said that a face-to-face meeting would usually stop
unintentional bullying and recommended
mediation as
the next step if the bullying was intentional.
But she warned, "The mediation needs to be done by a fully
trained external mediator with a good track record. Internal
grievances are open to the abuses of power."
Bullying can often stem from bosses not knowing enough about
technology, she said.
"A lot of bullying in IT is down to some senior managers being
'hands-off' from a technical point of view and feeling threatened
by the knowledge of subordinates," she said. "To cover their
incompetence they would purposefully deceive.
"And in senior management positions a high percentage possess
very poor people skills."
One IT contractor said he was pushed out of his permanent job by
institutionalised bullying. He said, "I was given meaningless
tasks, unsolvable problems, put at a desk in the farthest corner of
the office facing a wall, excluded from meetings, and had
development plans removed. The HR performance measurement process
was used to 'prove' the point that I was a failure."
He added, "There is a culture of cronyism, protectionism and
jobs for the boys that is institutionalised. It is so deep-rooted I
doubt it can be resolved."
What managers should do to prevent and deal with
bullying
Advice from professionals: Professor Cooper and Peter Skyte from
Unite
- Have a mission statement that fiercely opposes bullying, and
makes it clear it is not tolerated
- Have a clear process that is followed when bullying occurs,
including how to go beyond the immediate manager if he or she is
part of the problem
- Make sure all staff know about the mission statement, and the
process that should be followed
- Take swift action if bullying occurs: don't let it persist
- If bullying is becoming a problem, check to see if it is
endemic in the organisation
- Make support available for victims of bullying - for example,
through the union
Advice from victims
- Deal with unintentional bullying through face-to-face
meetings
- Use external mediators, as a case can become politicised if it
is handled internally
- Provide a system for victims to report bullying anonymously, so
they don't have to talk to the bully directly and risk making the
problem worse
- Give managers better people-skills training, and take
interpersonal skills into account for managerial positions
- Provide a system for employees to contact top managers if their
immediate bosses are not helping
Case study
Ann had a successful career in IT for 29 years, with her
employer telling her she was an "excellent project manager". But
she began to experience bullying after a female colleague lied to
senior management about Ann's character, personal life, abilities
and knowledge of the job. The bullying didn't stop until she was
admitted to hospital suffering from severe depression.
She returned to work two years later, but her employer did not
adhere to return to work polices or the grievance procedures.
The bullying intensified. Ann was isolated from other employees,
made to work in a building alone and excluded from meetings and
events. Her e-mails and calls were ignored, and she was given
demeaning, repetitive work. Work was also taken off her without
warning or explanation.
Senior management lied and exaggerated to cover their backs,
said Ann, before eventually asking her to leave after she suffered
a breakdown. She left the IT profession and is now completing a
psychology degree.
Bullying widespread in IT companies >>
TUC
anti-bullying guide >>
How to deal with bully bosses >>
Toxic management >>