Rudeness in the workplace spreads like a virus – study
EVERYONE knows that a rude colleague really creates a bad atmosphere, but new research shows that rudeness in the workplace can go viral.
Being on the receiving end of rude behaviour at work makes people more likely to be rude to others, a University of Florida study found. But even if you just witness the rude interaction, you are still more likely to pass it on.
“When you experience rudeness, it makes rudeness more noticeable,” said lead author Trevor Foulk, a doctoral student in management at University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration. “You’ll see more rudeness even if it’s not there.”
The findings provide the first evidence that everyday impoliteness spreads in the workplace.
“Part of the problem is that we are generally tolerant of these behaviours, but they are actually really harmful,” Foulk said. “Rudeness has an incredibly powerful negative effect on the workplace.”
The study involved 90 graduate students negotiating with one another and rating their interactions. Those who rated their first negotiation partner as rude were more likely to be rated as rude by a subsequent partner – showing that they passed along the first partner’s rudeness.
The effect was still observable even after a whole week separated the first and second negotiations. Just like those who experience rudeness, people who witness it were more likely to be rude to others too. – Daily Mail The recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) country review of the US recommends that nation delay its interest rate increases until 2016. The US is not expected to hike interest rates before September, with markets expecting the hike to be delayed until December.
From this perspective, there is no need to worry about maintaining South Africa’s interest rate differential with the US in July, as the US is not likely to lift its interest rates. Furthermore, South Africa’s interest rate differential with the repo rate and CPI inflation is positive, and much closer to neutral levels than last year, also signalling no need for a July interest rate hike – given the natural normalisation of interest rates that has occurred.
Indeed, South Africa should not be attempting normalisation of interest rates while the economy is so weak, as this will mean a move away from accommodative to neutral monetary policy. Given the lower actual and potential economic growth that has become the norm, in the face of rising unemployment South Africa needs accommodative monetary policy to support the single cylinder the economy is firing on – the interest rate sensitive services sector.
The economy is not overheating nor causing demand-led inflation pressure to rise. Indeed, it is at risk of seeing economic growth for 2015 slowing to 2014’s strike induced outcome of 1.5 percent year on year, given also the negative impact of the drought on domestic maize, along with the negative impact of low commodity prices and weak global trade volumes on exports, and the effect of electricity supply constraints. An interest rate cut may have limited ability to stimulate growth, but an interest rate hike will potentially slow economic growth given the fragility of domestic demand and confidence.
Hiking interest rates will subdue economic growth further, as South Africa’s interest rate sensitive services sector is the only real engine of economic growth, fuelled by corporate and consumer spending.