ACRL Conference, day 4 - Toxicity

Panel Session: Gender, Generation and Toxicity: The Implications for Academic Libraries of Gender and Generational Attitudes Toward Competition and Workplace Behavior

Terrence Bennett, The College of New Jersey
Mollie Freier, Northern Michigan University
Ann Campion Riley, University of Missouri

2 years ago, at last ACRL there was a presentation on workplace toxicity; this is an update.

Toxicity defined:

• More than just people and management situations
• First used in 1980s in business literature (Peter Frost)
• An ongoing work situation that is painful, personally difficult and uncomfortable through a special combination of factors
• Hostile, unreasonable or emotionally distressing behavior with many causes, including institutional issues outside the library.

Hypothesis: A serious problem in the library; worse in some functional areas

Findings:
Administration is the worst place for toxic behavior (over 3,000 results to 2007 survey)
> 30% thought problems to be serious and enough to leave the job.

Some comments on the survey:
Gender aspect was huge,

• "the majority of women...results in picky, nasty behavior."
• "Women with power issues"
• "This is what happens when a lot of women work together"
• "Women should unite instead of taking every chance to take each other down"

Research re-framed to look at gender and inter-generational issues.
What impact does the economic downturn have on workplace toxicity?
Are women disproportionately affected by budget woes?

Work leaner and smarter = belittle me harder. Old responses don't work in the new environment.

Budget impact on toxicity:
hiring freeze and greater workload
competition
flexibility

What (women) managers are saying:

• We're training new librarians on dealing with budget cuts
• I know I have to lay-off people, but I can't tell them
• It's a chance to clear out the deadwood
• Everyone's gone berserk; we have to calm down.

Can we continue doing more with less? When do we stop? As we continue with this trend, people will become toxic.

64% or librarians in ARL libraries are women (ARL)
82% of librarians are women (BLS)

literature (interesting titles):

• Cat-fight
• Tripping the Prom Queen
• The Queen Bee Syndrome (article)
• I can't believe she did that: why women betray other women at work
• Mars/Venus
• Stress reactions are different for women (Taylor, 2000)
• Communication styles are different (Gualdagno and Cialdini, 2002)
• Statistical differences are actually small (Hyde and Plant, 1995)
• Differences in motor skills, masturbation and attitudes to casual sex (Hyde, 2005)
• some difference in physical aggression (Hyde, 2005)
• Difficult conversations
  

Historically, women have not been socialized to compete effectively; it violates the sense of sisterhood.
But:

• there is no monolithic woman
• easy to become alienated in a sexist culture
• easily stereotyped
• competition often becomes personal.
• What has Title IX done to help women compete effectively

Worst sources of toxicity (from survey):

• baby boomers
• older librarians concerned younger librarians will take their position before they can retire
• young, new coordinator who is a drama queen
• generational differences and territorial vs collegial behavior

Baby boomers (1946-64): trustworthy, loyal, helpful friendly, courteous and kind, clean and reverent, thrifty and brave
Generation X (1965-80): independent, techno-literate, mistrustful of bureaucracies; may be perceived as slackers

Some truths to the stereotypes.

Avoiding toxicity
some people are "jerks" (a gender neutral term)

• recognize familiar patterns
• identify chronic, temporary or inevitable toxic situations
• overcome stereotypes and patterned responses
• understand your role as a colleague or manager

ACRL Conference, day 4 - Toxicity