Researchers at Rutgers University studied how the habit of discussing management affects employees. The aim of the work was to understand the impact of behind-the-back conversations on the psychological state of the team. This is reported by the Daily Mail.
Preliminary results showed that after discussions about their manager, many experienced discomfort, while some participants reported feelings of guilt and shame. At the same time, researchers also found a positive effect related to the internal dynamics of the team.
The experiment involved 202 office workers from various fields. For ten days, they were sent questions twice a day about whether they had discussed their manager and what emotions they felt afterward. Despite the discomfort, participants noted an increase in cohesion, which made the remaining part of the workday more productive. Study author Rebecca Greenbaum reported that people occasionally discuss their managers, even if they think it is wrong, and they can still experience positive emotions.
According to scientists, such conversations serve as a tool for social interaction, helping to release pent-up emotions and feel support from colleagues. In the second phase of the experiment, where another 111 employees were surveyed and their colleagues were involved, the results were similar: participants again reported a stronger sense of belonging to the team and an increase in collaboration.
