Bad bosses generally come in two forms. Those who are dysfunctional like Michael Scott from the TV series The Office; then there are the dark ones like Gordon Gekko from the movie Wall Street. That's according to new research that aims to better understand the behavior of bad bosses in the workplace. And both types can cause a great deal of stress in employees.
Dysfunctional bosses don't want to hurt you, but due to lack of skills or other personality flaws, they just aren't very good at their jobs. We call that 'dysfunctional'. Dark bosses, on the other hand, have destructive behaviors, hurting others to elevate themselves, the researcher said. These bosses are viewed through the three traits called the "Dark Triad," which includes Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. “These are people who enjoy the pain and suffering of others – they are mean, abusive and intimidating in everyday life,” said the researcher.
