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
- 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
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
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