Toxic management - how to discover, prevent and cure negative impacts to productivity of individuals, teams and organizations

Abstract

Toxic managerial practices are present in various organizational landscapes,spanning both established corporations and startup ecosystems. This thesis is aimed at gaining new perspectives, cultivating awareness regarding subject impacts and equipping them with actionable insights for confronting such environments and individuals. The author provides a comprehensive definition of toxic management, including its manifestations and repercussions within the contemporary academic and professional literature, proposing a correlative relationship between toxic managerial practices and a myriad of adverse organizational outcomes. This thesis further defines one possible methodological framework tailored for empirically validating existence of managerial toxicity, thereby augmenting the empirical foundations underlying referenced state of the art. Central to the research objectives is the aspiration to create an organization characterized by psychological well-being and interpersonal harmony. Recognizing the lack of resources available to individuals navigating toxic workspaces, this work provides guidance, facilitating the identification of underlying dynamics and orchestrating informed interventions. The empirical analyses are enriched by referenced literature, particularly concerning the detection of toxic environments and the mitigation of associated psychological ramifications, including self-doubt and undue self-attribution of blame. Empathy emerges as a key construct, with empirical evidence based on individual experiences and exposures totoxic management paradigms. Multiple sources indicate a common ground,encompassing novices and seasoned professionals alike, pertaining to many faces of toxic management. Upon encountering patterns of toxic dynamics, initial responses frequently manifest as skepticism, indicative of entrenched biases and cognitive dissonance. Furthermore, empirical findings corroborate the ramifications of toxic managerial practices on organizational vitality, encompassing diminished productivity, stifled innovation, and compromised long-term viability across entities of varying magnitudes. Concluding, this research aspires to serve as an enlightening compass for emerging professionals, bringing to light the imperatives of proactive vigilance and the adoption of resilient organizational frameworks, thereby safeguarding against the encroachments of toxic management on organizational efficacy and vitality.