Navigating and Transforming Toxic Workplaces

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the pervasive issue of toxic workplaces. The discussion covers identifying toxic behaviors such as micromanagement, harassment, and discriminatory practices and their detrimental effects on mental and physical health. The role of leadership, particularly toxic leaders, and their impact on workplace culture is highlighted. Strategies for survival and transformation are provided, including building a support network, maintaining strong boundaries, and possibly leaving the toxic environment. The complexities of discrimination, including sexism, racism, and disability discrimination, are also addressed, along with the importance of reporting mechanisms and organizational change. Listeners are encouraged to recognize signs of toxicity, take protective actions, and strive for real change within their workplaces.

00:00 Introduction to Toxic Workplaces
00:45 Recognizing Toxic Behaviors
01:59 Impact of Toxic Work Environments
02:35 Role of Leadership in Workplace Toxicity
03:48 Toxicity at Different Organizational Levels
06:29 Discrimination and Workplace Toxicity
11:07 Surviving a Toxic Workplace
14:42 Weaponized Performance Improvement Plans
18:43 Reporting Toxic Behavior
22:30 Psychological Dynamics of Workplace Change
26:03 Strategies for Preventing Toxic Workplaces
29:23 Conclusion and Call to Action

Amal Masri on LinkedIn (Never Go to a Second Location framework)

Selection of Research:

•  Appelbaum, S.H., Deguire, K.J. and Lay, M. (2005), "The relationship of ethical climate to deviant workplace behaviour", Corporate Governance, Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 43-55. 
• Barrie E. Litzky, Kimberly A. Eddleston, and Deborah L. Kidder, 2006: The Good, the Bad, and the Misguided: How Managers Inadvertently Encourage Deviant Behaviors. AMP, 20, 91–103
• Higgins, P. (2024). “I don’t even recognize myself anymore”: An autoethnography of workplace bullying in higher education. Power and Education, 16(1), 29-41.
• MOORE, C., DETERT, J.R., KLEBE TREVIÑO, L., BAKER, V.L. and MAYER, D.M. (2012), WHY EMPLOYEES DO BAD THINGS: MORAL DISENGAGEMENT AND UNETHICAL ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR. Personnel Psychology, 65: 1-48.
•  Moore, C., & Gino, F. (2015). Approach, Ability, Aftermath: A Psychological Process Framework of Unethical Behavior at Work. The Academy of Management Annals, 9(1), 235–289. 
• Singh, P. & Twalo, T.G. (2015) Mismanaging Unethical Behaviour in the Workplace. Journal of Applied Business Research. DOI: 10.19030/jabr.v31i2.9150
• Webb EM, Kohi MP. How to Navigate Toxic Behaviors at Work. J Am Coll Radiol. 2019 Dec;16(12):1723-1725. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2019.06.013. Epub 2019 Jul 9. PMID: 31299248.
• YIKILMAZ, A. P. D. Ü. İ. (2023) WORRYING WORKPLACE TREND: TOXIC RESILIENCE. Business Journal of the 2nd International Paris Social Sciences Congress