Workplace aggression and negativity is not a new phenomenon (Hemmings, 2013; Abbas, 2014). There is a plethora of literature that shows how negativity in a workplace hampers organizational goals. Workplace negativity often leads to low productivity and lack of job satisfaction among employees (Membere et al., 2015; Samnani, Salamon, and Singh, 2014). It is imperative that the management in an organization should work towards establishing a proper working environment where employees are free to share their experience without being victimized (Razzaghian, and Ghani, 2014). It is imperative that organizations develop sound measures for detecting any form of workplace negativity and address it early enough to avoid massive losses (Abbas, 2014). Every organization is striving to gain a competitive edge over the rest. This can only be achieved when employees conform to the organizational culture and ideologies. This paper seeks to examine negativity in workplaces and its effective on organizational development.
Many studies have shown that continued negativity in a workplace is brought by the loss of control and confidence among employees (Johnstone, and Feeney, 2015). Often, there is a feeling of disenfranchisement on the part of the employees. Most employees in this situation display an attitude that negates the overall goal of the organization. It suffices to point out with the emerging trends in globalization; cases of negativity in workplaces are increasing (Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014). This is partly due to new cultures as employees continue to interact at the global level. The problem of cultural relativism is core in workplace negativity (Razzaghian, and Ghani, 2014). In dealing with issues of cultural relativism, employees are required to learn cultural competency as ways of curbing the notion of cultural superiority among employees (Hebl et al., 2015).
Many scholars have delineated negativity in workplaces regarding incessant conflicts, low work efficiency, the breakdown in communication, the negative attitude among employees, lethargy at work, and apathy. Several organizations are incurring massive losses as a result of workplace negativity (Lutgen-Sandvik, Hood, and Jacobson, 2016). Negativity in the place of work is expressed in many ways including the talk, outlook, and attitude of employees. With the increasing cases of negativity in workplaces, questions are being raised as to whether the managements in an organization have the capacity to deal with them effectively (Kim, and Kim, 2013). Cases of negativity in a workplace have been reported in meetings where employees appear to be totally disengaged from the rest of the team (Johnstone, and Feeney, 2015). It suffices to point out that in organizations where negativity is, employees lack strategic thoughts and rarely presents creative solutions for improved performance. Negative in a workplace has a confounding influence on the morale of employees (Khan, 2015). Morale is important in driving the agenda of an organization and therefore, in situations where morale is low, attaining organizational goals becomes tough (Grayson, 2016).
Employees ought to work together to achieve common goals in an organization. When there is unity of purpose among employees in the organization, the organization functions appropriately (Kim, and Kim, 2013; Lutgen-Sandvik, Hood, and Jacobson, 2016). There is extensive research that has been done to determine the extent and nature of workplace negativity. The negativity is roadblocks to impede an organization from realizing its full potential and remain competitive in the market (Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014). A fully functioning organization should hot hinder cooperation among employees (Johnstone, and Feeney, 2015). Detecting the problems early enough prevents the situation from degenerating into worse negative outcomes. The negativity affects the stability of an organization and prevents it from attaining the highest level of functionality (Lutgen-Sandvik, Hood, and Jacobson, 2016).
It suffices to mention that negativity at work is common and has attracted the attention of many people. Currently, researchers have developed a keen interest in bullying which is a form of workplace negativity (Freedman, and Vreven, 2016; Sabat, Lindsey, and King, 2014). Workplace negativity is rife because employees continue to interact at all level in an organization (Rose, 2016; Stoica, Brate, Bucu??, and Morar, 2014). Many studies have identified bullying and workplace negativity as problems that cannot be ignored at all costs. It suffices to mention that workplace negativity contributes to a lot of mental distress, pain, career damage, and physical illnesses to employees (Brockner, and Wiesenfeld, 2016).
Several studies that have conducted revealed certain behaviors characterize the negativity in workplaces. First, employees tend to be miserable and are always negative (Beezhold, Bendi, and da Costa, 2016). These employees lack self-drive in performing their duties and are always complaining. Secondly, they always remain sarcastic when addressing their colleagues and the issues affecting the organization at large (Samnani, Salamon, and Singh, 2014). In most cases, leaders are undermined in organizations that experience negativity (Beezhold, Bendi, and da Costa, 2016). Employees often fail to adhere to instructions given by their seniors. Disregard of instructions and blatant refusal to follow orders brings chaos and conflicts in the organization (Deniz, Saygun, Ero?lu, Ülger, and Azapo?lu, 2016). Additionally, some employees demand preferential treatments from the organization failure to which they “revolt” against the organization and its management (Methot, Melwani, and Rothman, 2017). In some cases, following and adhering to the set rules becomes hard. Some employees would prefer adhering to rules that they perceive to be favorable to them (Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014).
Negativity in the workplace is a form of intra-organizational problem which should be addressed using a specific policy framework (Beezhold, Bendi, and da Costa, 2016). It is imperative to point out there the available evidence shows that there is need to ratify policies that reflect the will of employees in the organization and that of the organization as well (Methot, Melwani, and Rothman, 2017; Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014). For instance, in collecting information for solving problems of negativity in an organization, suggestion boxes are more appropriate. Additionally, the organization should adopt an open door policy so that employees can interact and share their ideas without any impediment (Ülger, and Azapo?lu, 2016). Further, the head of various departments in an organization should consult widely with other employees on issues that affect them and the organization (Brockner, and Wiesenfeld, 2016).
Job satisfaction and employee attitude are concerned with how an organization is organized and behaves (Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014; Johnstone, and Feeney, 2015). The management has a duty to direct employees so as to improve the employee and organizational effectiveness. Job satisfaction is critical in influencing the attitude of employees in an organization (Kim, and Kim, 2013). As such negative attitude among employees automatically leads to job dissatisfaction in an organization. It suffices to point out that it is incumbent upon employees and the management to create a healthy workplace environment for job satisfaction (Khan, 2015; Abbas, 2014; Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014). Employees who are not satisfied with their jobs often resort to negativity in the workplace. Several studies have shown that the attitude exhibited by employees towards that leadership affects their relationship substantially (Razzaghian, and Ghani, 2014). It is vital to point out that negativity in the workplace often results in conflicts and broken interpersonal relationships (Lutgen-Sandvik, Hood, and Jacobson, 2016). There is evidence that employees who harbor negativity cannot be able to produce positive results in an organization.
Several factors influence the attitudes of employees in a workplace environment. First, management role is critical in shaping the attitude of employees. A leadership style implemented by the management influences employee attitude (Ülger, and Azapo?lu, 2016; Lutgen-Sandvik, Hood, and Jacobson, 2016). It suffices to mention that organizations with weak management breeds negativity in the workplace. In some organizations, employees are provided with the leverage to make individual decisions concerning their work (Freedman, and Vreven, 2016).
Employees who are limited to decisions that they can make on behalf of the company may develop negative attitude towards the organization (Sabat, Lindsey, and King, 2014). In some instances, the management may pile a lot of pressure on employees as a way of realizing the objectives and goal of the company or the organization (Grayson, 2016). Meeting strict deadlines is challenging, and employees may find it difficult to cope. In this situation, employees may develop negative energy and consequently negativity in the workplace (Hebl et al., 2015; Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014). Additionally, if the management is too strict, employees will end up resenting the rules and procedures in the organization (Brockner, and Wiesenfeld, 2016). In this case, an employee will find it hard to work effectively towards the attainment of the organizational goals and objectives.
Employees’ behavior in an organization contribute to development of negativity in a workplace. The ability to achieve job satisfaction relies on the individual employees. Employees are required to work together in achieving the organizational goals and objectives (Johnstone, and Feeney, 2015). It is vital to note that employees undergo various job stressors. There should be a proper mechanism for helping employees with stress (Samnani, Salamon, and Singh, 2014). There is evidence that when stress is not contained and managed in an organization, employees will develop negative energy. Employees should always maintain the good interpersonal relationship among themselves (Razzaghian, and Ghani, 2014; Robinson, Wang, and Kiewitz, 2014). There is need to stress the importance of interpersonal communication among employees. Employees who are stressed up should be given breaks from work so as to relieve the stress (Membere et al., 2015). Some employees are extroverts and introverts in an organization. It is imperative that these employees should be understood to avoid misunderstanding (Johnstone, and Feeney, 2015).
Organizational theory is the basis for problem-solving and decision-making in organizational management (Beezhold, Bendi, and da Costa, 2016). It suffices to mention that for an organization to be successful and effective, the leadership should be of high quality (Khan, 2015). In this regard, leadership is fundamental is providing proper direction to the employees as well as solving problems that the organization faces (Kim, and Kim, 2013). Several theories have been advanced to conceptualize the kind of organization and relationship with the core business (Methot, Melwani, and Rothman, 2017). These theories form the basis of effective leadership, problem-solving, decision-making in an organization. Similarly, these theories set the foundation for dealing with negativity in the workplaces among other challenges (Samnani, Salamon, and Singh, 2014).
It is imperative that organizational theory provides an insight into the understanding organizations. The organizational theory focuses on the activities and goals of an organization (Sabat, Lindsey, and King, 2014). It is imperative to note that through organizational theory, application of knowledge that regards to how employees and groups in an organization ought to behave and act (Johnstone, and Feeney, 2015; Samnani, Salamon, and Singh, 2014). It is critical to point out that psychologists are instrumental in providing an insight into both individual and group behavior in an organization (Freedman, and Vreven, 2016; Membere et al., 2015). These behaviors affect the growth of an organization direct, and as such, they should be critically analyzed. Furthermore, through organizational theories, it is possible to have an incisive explanation the relationship between the external environment and the organization (Brockner, and Wiesenfeld, 2016). In an organization, control and coordination are imperative.
In conclusion, negativity hurts the organization and the employees. It is essential that every organization develops a mechanism for dealing with workplace negativity to avoid failures. Workplace negativity renders the organization unproductive and reduces its competitive edge in the market. Ideally, the cost of resolving negativity in a workplace is often smaller as compared to the cost incurred as a result of a reduction in productivity. Organizations where there is negativity, employee turnover rate is always high, and there is increased stress among employees. Therefore, the management in an organization should have the ability to manage conflicts amicably. Effective conflict resolution is vital in promoting creativity and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, it promotes organizational growth and development. In a nutshell, effective conflict resolution aids in the minimization of negativity in the organization.
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