DYSFUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORS THAT LEAD TO WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS

  • Quasi-militaristic management
  • Lack of employee involvement in decision-making processes
  • Unrealistic expectations and demands
  • Lack of diversity education
  • Poor communication processes
  • Lack of system for addressing employee concerns
  • Punitive disciplinary processes

It is not uncommon today to pick up the newspaper and read about a workplace violence incident, an organization that is being sued by its employees, unions trying to organize, or a company that is recalling products because of safety concerns.  Employer issues are becoming front-page news and employees are paying attention.

The most successful organizations that have minimal internal investigations and avoid legal liability are those who foster a positive, employee-focused culture in which communication is conducted in a two-way fashion.   When employees feel they have rapport with leaders and can voice concerns, offer their perspective and seek resolutions through a collaborative effort, they do not feel the need to file formal complaints.

On the other hand, organizations that run in a quasi-militaristic fashion and focus on “top down” communication, employees feel powerless to voice concerns.  In these types of organizations, employees may seek methods to gain power and retaliate for “having been done wrong.”  The quasi-militaristic organization is one that practices “command and control” leadership in which supervisors and managers make all decisions and frequently micromanage.  In some cases, leaders take the position “if you don’t like working here…there’s the door.”  This type of mentality causes constant friction between the leadership team and employees, fosters a culture of mistrust, and creates an environment that is neither collaborative nor productive.   Furthermore, this type of structure dramatically increases the potential for workplace violence.

To avoid having complaints turn into investigations, the starting place is creating sound policies and identifying specific dysfunctional organizational behaviors and examining organizational culture.   Once policies have been created and behaviors have been identified, action plans can be put into place to address the issues and begin modifying leadership styles, internal processes, etc. that have been contributing to complaints.  Also, by taking a close look at the organization, through the eyes of your employees, you can gain perspective necessary for driving organizational change toward a more positive culture.

–Natalie Ivey, President & CEO
Results Performance Consulting, Inc. – RPC

Natalie Ivey is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and has more than twenty years of leadership and HR experience with Fortune 500 organizations. Her firm provides a wide array of human resources seminars in Florida and throughout the U.S. and also provides HR consulting and employee training, especially in dealing with problem employees.  www.rpchr.com