Why bad leaders make you sick
Poor leaders increase not only the amount of sick leave taken at a workplace, but also the risk of sickness amongst employees later on in life, Swedish research shows.
[Regional manager David Brent in the BBC television comedy The Office]
| Related news: • “Swedish leadership a doubtful export hit” |
Having a bad boss is more dangerous to your health -- in long and short-term perspective -- than previously assumed. A really lousy manager may even drastically increase you risk of suffering a heart attack within a ten-year period, according to a new thesis from Karolinska Institutet.
"There's a relationship between how employees find their managers and how they feel, physically and mentally, and not just while at work but also later in life", said Anna Nyberg, postgraduate at the Department of Public Health Sciences.
There are two major types of poor managers, she concludes: the ones leading in an unfriendly way and the ones not leading at all. The unfriendly manager is, maybe not surprisingly, the worst of the two.
Employees at working place with a withdrawn boss can in some situations still work independently. People working for a dominating and dictatorial boss easily get much higher levels of self-rated stress, health, sick leave and emotional exhaustion.
The researcher even found that male residents of the Stockholm area ran a 25 percent greater risk of suffering a heart attack during the ten-year follow-up period if they had expressed displeasure with their managers at the start of the study. The poorer manager, the higher risk of heart attack, said Anna Nyberg concluded.
The thesis, The Impact of Managerial Leadership on Stress and Health Among Employees, is based on data from almost 20,000 employees in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland and Italy, working in a range of fields, such as the forest or hotel industries.
| • SIGN UP FOR FREE NEWSLETTER • ALL BREAKING NEWS ON TWITTER |
Last Updated (Tuesday, 03 November 2009 07:37)
'We are much worse off than the car industry'
"The politicians in Brussels live in their own world and are not aware of the problems in the truck industry", said Leif Östling, CEO of Swedish truck manufacturer Scania, when meeting EU officials.
Swedish krona tipped to rally next year
The Swedish krona is the talk of the town on financial markets as currency experts say it will gain a lot of ground against the euro.
Crisis makes Iceland best-value destination
Iceland and London are the world's best-value destinations thanks to the economic crisis, travel guide firm Lonely Planet said.
Brazil still fussy about fighter jet deal
Brazil and France are continuing talks over Brasilia's stated plan to buy fighter jets – but refused to say whether they were going ahead with the purchase.
• Sweden sweetens bid for Brazil fighter jet deal
• Saab's fight in Brazil 'not yet over'
Swedish airline Skyways sold for 1 krona
“Flying has generally never been an overly lucrative industry“, Skyway's Chairman said after he sold the company for 1 krona.
Nokia Siemens to cut 6,000 jobs
Finnish-German telecom equipment maker Nokia Siemens will reduce its 64,000-strong workforce by up top 6,000 jobs.
Reinfeldt and Obama in climate deal talks
US President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt expressed hope for an "important deal" at the upcoming Copenhaguen conference on climate change.
• Denmark's PM: Climate summit will fail
• Sweden tells US to step up on climate change
Volvo Cars gains market shares
Despite desperate times for the auto industry, Ford’s Sweden-based Volvo Cars managed to increase sales and nick market shares.
Swedish reporter defends Israel 'blood libel'
A Swedish journalist who caused outrage in Israel with allegations that soldiers stole organs of dead Palestinians defended his article to a hostile audience in southern Israel.
Swedish PR industry is a sacred cow
"The once-strong public relations industry is losing ground to an even stronger advertising industry", writes author and communication consultants Stefan Engeseth.
Swedish crime author's partner offered €2 million
The family of Stieg Larsson, the author who died before his "Millennium" trilogy became a cult hit worldwide, has offered Larsson's partner a settlement to end a dispute.
Swedish stocks will continue to increase
STOCK MARKET – Three out of four companies on the Stockholm exchange have reported better-than-expected earnings and analysts believe in continued growth.
Sweden to crack down on SMS loans
The Swedish government will crack down on highly popular youth-targeted SMS loans, as the left-wing opposition demanded a total ban on the loans to minors.
Sweden to build new nuclear plants
State-owned energy giant Vattenfall plans to build new nuclear reactors in Sweden.
Denmark's PM: Climate summit will fail
It's not possible to reach a legally binding international agreement at the UN Climate summit, Danish Prime Minister said.
• Denmark warns of Copenhagen fiasco • Sweden tells US to step up on climate change • Reinfeldt 'very worried' on climate negotiations • Time to 'break deadlock' on climate change • Environment talks with US "progressing slowly"
Swedish fund investors turn to emerging markets
Swedish fund investors turn to emerging markets, such as Russia, Brazil and Latin America, as risk appetite swells.
Volvo's image at risk in Chinese hands
Geely Automobile will face the tough challenge of ensuring Volvo Cars reputation for safety, analysts warned.
• China's Geely is 'preferred bidder' in Volvo sale
• Reinfeldt wants Volvo jobs to stay in Sweden
