Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

Social media and flexible work can save careers, new research shows

  • Written by Andrew Edelblum, Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Dayton
Social media and flexible work can save careers, new research shows

In today’s high-pressure business world, demands like meeting sales targets and managing customer relationships are challenging enough. But for some workers, the real battle is surviving the toll of an abusive manager.

Toxic behavior from supervisors — including public ridicule, unfair blame and angry outbursts — can push talented employees to the brink, increasing the likelihood of disengagement and turnover[1]. Just consider the quiet quitting phenomenon[2] of recent years.

As business[3] researchers[4] interested[5] in workplace[6] dynamics[7], we set out to look into these troubling trends. Our goal was to explore strategies for mitigating the harmful impact of so-called “jerk boss[8]” behaviors, such as insulting employees as “soft”[9] for declining to work weekends.

Drawing from a survey of 237 business-to-business salespeople across multiple industries, our newly published work[10] found two low-cost, high-impact remedies. The first is to encourage productive workplace social media use. The second is to offer flexible work arrangements.

Social media as a support system

In some workplaces, managers view workplace-based apps and larger platforms — like Instagram, LinkedIn and Microsoft Teams — as valuable tools for networking, promotion and coordination. In others, they criticize these spaces for encouraging cyberloafing[11].

However, an underappreciated quality of social media is its role as a support system for workers facing toxic leadership. Journalist L.V. Anderson once aptly described Slack[12] as “a safe space for mild grousing about management, power dynamics and subtle inequities in the workplace.”

Our research strongly supports this sentiment, highlighting how online platforms enable employees to connect, vent and bypass the formalities of traditional email[13].

The power of flexible work arrangements

Another key result was that flexible work can go a long way. Personalized work schedules and telecommuting options offer a buffer against the stress caused by abusive supervisors, we found.

It’s easy to understand how this works: Workers feel valued[14] when offered a tailored schedule that meets their needs. This sense of being appreciated helps offset the emotional toll of working under a jerk boss.

So it’s no surprise that more and more workplaces are adopting flexible work setups. An estimated 58% of the American workforce — or 92 million workers — are currently in roles that offer a remote or hybrid setup, according to polling from McKinsey[15]. The same survey found that 87% of people accept offers to work remotely when given the option.

What this means for business

These findings are a call to action for businesses, particularly as disgruntled employees reportedly cost U.S. firms a whopping US$1.9 trillion[16] annually.

Our work suggests that encouraging the use of workplace social media — along with offering flexible work arrangements — can create a more resilient workforce that’s better equipped to handle the challenges of even the harshest of managers. Using both techniques in tandem seems to provide the strongest protection.

To be fair, these interventions don’t directly tackle abusive bosses’ behavior. Addressing that may require more complex solutions, such as targeted training and improved recruitment practices.

But our research suggests that, as part of a larger suite of management reforms, social media and flexible work arrangements can go a long way toward creating more supportive, functional work environments.

References

  1. ^ increasing the likelihood of disengagement and turnover (www.wsj.com)
  2. ^ quiet quitting phenomenon (www.gallup.com)
  3. ^ business (udayton.edu)
  4. ^ researchers (udayton.edu)
  5. ^ interested (udayton.edu)
  6. ^ in workplace (udayton.edu)
  7. ^ dynamics (udayton.edu)
  8. ^ jerk boss (www.nytimes.com)
  9. ^ insulting employees as “soft” (www.vox.com)
  10. ^ newly published work (doi.org)
  11. ^ for encouraging cyberloafing (whyy.org)
  12. ^ aptly described Slack (www.nytimes.com)
  13. ^ formalities of traditional email (www.theverge.com)
  14. ^ Workers feel valued (hbr.org)
  15. ^ according to polling from McKinsey (www.mckinsey.com)
  16. ^ whopping US$1.9 trillion (www.gallup.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/how-to-combat-toxic-bosses-social-media-and-flexible-work-can-save-careers-new-research-shows-236771

Landowners Offered $30,000 Per Year for Just 1 Hectare: The Rise of 5MW Battery Projects Across Australia

In a pivotal shift reshaping Australia’s renewable energy landscape, landowners in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria are being offered up ...

Major national security tech alliance launches with Aerologix a founding member

Australia’s leading drone intelligence pioneer bolsters sovereign tech power Australia’s leading aerial data and drone intelligence platform, Aer...

Chris Hancock AM Honoured as 2025 Communications Ambassador

SYDNEY Chris Hancock AM, former CEO of AARNet, has been awarded the prestigious Communications Ambassador title at the 2025 Telecommunications Indus...

Baby boomers are driving development feasibility leading to larger apartments

As residential developers continue to grapple with feasibility issues on apartment projects, the sector is struggling to deliver volumes of new st...

Hays launches FY25/26 Salary Guide: ‘Salary Paradox’ deepens as pay rises fail Australians

Rising dissatisfaction with pay, progression and perks is fuelling a new wave of career change in FY25/26, as Australians demand more from employe...

Australian Businesses Still Stuck in the AI Hype Cycle

Data Governance Failures, ROI Gaps and Unclear Strategy Slowing Progress Despite artificial intelligence (AI) dominating headlines and boardroom ag...

Sell by LayBy