In preparing this blog I seem to read dozens of posts each week. So you will have to forgive me for not being able to provide you to a link about a story that I remember reading about a week ago concerning the prospect of a manager bringing a personal grievance against his or her employer.
The short of it is a study which has confirmed that managers are less likely to bring complaints about their employment than their colleagues lower down in the management hierarchy.
At first I thought this was an unremarkable story – but then a personal incident disposed me to my philosophical side.
Last week I found myself in the foyer of our building, running towards an open lift, hands burdened with files and assorted stationery under one arm, and hot cup of coffee in the other.
A fellow just in front of me had successfully called the lift, and was getting into it as I increased my cadence across the foyer. He saw me, but instead of holding the lift for me, deliberately shut its doors – such that I arrived at the lift just in time to see the doors closing on his face – eyes turned embarrassingly away from me.
Why would someone do something like this?
The answer – in my view – is simple. The fellow was a building contractor – who was in our building for a very limited period of time (in fact, I’ve never seen him in our building again). Because of his perception that it is most unlikely that he will ever be held to account for his actions, he can afford to be rude to me.
That isn’t true of a person who has the prospect of sharing a lift with me on a regular basis. An act of rudeness like this seems unacceptable when forced upon someone with whom there may be even the most passing familiarity. And, worst case, I will probably remember the perpetrator – and may even perform an act of revenge at some future time – a further disincentive to rudeness.
I reckon that workplace dynamics are similar. If an employee is low down the management hierarchy, there is a high chance that he/she will have a low perception of self worth. Not only will he/she think it less likely that a senior member of staff will take notice of his or her actions, there is also the prospect of an element of vindication in “standing up to The Man”.
As employees become more senior in the management hierarchy, however, there is a feeling of ownership. This is not necessarily a literal ownership: it is a cultural belonging – such that the employee may be prone to using the term “we” when describing the company’s achievements.
As one of my friends often says, “You wouldn’t rob yourself, would you?” and an employee who has a feeling of ownership about the place in which he or she works is less likely to do something which might upset the general order of things.
I’m not sure if this necessarily explains the way in which managers appear to be less likely to become grievants. But it may go some way to explaining the dynamics that are at work. And – as for the fellow who shut the door in my face – if you are reading this, don’t worry: you are forgiven. But do remember that charity has no cost – but is priceless at the same time.
Employers are frequently prone to developing policies which are specific to their particular workplaces. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, but it does lend itself to a bit of a quandary.
One of my favourite magazines publishes a monthly feature called “Signs that the apocalypse is upon us”. Into that category would surely fit Hallmark’s new greeting card campaign.
Although I am sure it evidences a bit of geek in me, I really enjoy looking at stats.
An interesting post 
As an ethic, it is pretty hard for me to think of anyone who would recommend lying as a preferred approach in any walk of life. [I suppose that’s saying something, coming from a lawyer!]
