|
September 27, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE|
MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Lunday
(443) 287-9960
acl@jhu.edu
WORKPLACE MISDEEDS TOP "TERRIBLE
TEN" RUDE BEHAVIORS LIST
Popular primetime TV shows like "The Office" or "30 Rock" find humor in the
rudeness and sarcasm of fictional employees, but in the real world, workplace
boorishness is no laughing matter: Several forms of 9-to-5 incivility earned
spots on the "Terrible
Ten" list of rude behaviors, based on a new survey of 615 workers and others in
Baltimore.
Discrimination at work tops the list of offenses, according to the
survey by the Civility Initiative at The Johns Hopkins University and the
Jacob France Institute of the University of Baltimore. Erratic or
aggressive driving that endangers others – behavior typical of rush-hour
commutes – and taking credit for someone else's work round out the top three.
Other working-world offenses on the list include treating service providers as
inferiors and using cell phones during meetings to make calls or send text
messages.
"The research suggests that people are bothered more by the
transgressions of coworkers and strangers than by those of family and friends,"
said P.M. Forni, director of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins, who
conducted the research with David Stevens, Treva Stack and Stacey Lee of the
University of Baltimore. This is interesting in itself, Forni said, but the
next necessary step for the research team will be to find out why. "Maybe we are
less rude towards family, or maybe we are more inclined to tolerate rude
behavior when it comes from family," Forni said.
The
complete list of "Terrible Ten" behaviors:
1.
Discrimination in an employment situation.
2.
Erratic/aggressive driving that endangers others.
3.
Taking credit for someone else’s work.
4.
Treating service providers as inferiors.
5. Jokes
or remarks that mock another’s race/gender/age/disability/sexual preference or
religion.
6.
Children who behave aggressively or who bully others.
7.
Littering (including trash, spitting, pet waste).
8.
Misuse of handicapped privileges.
9.
Smoking in non-smoking places or smoking in front of non-smokers without asking.
10. Using
cell phones or text messaging in mid-conversation or during an appointment or
meeting.
Categories of "rude" or "uncivil" behavior were derived from an
informal survey, conducted online through Yahoo.com and Survey Monkey during a
two-week period in May 2007. The survey polled employees of the Baltimore-based
companies Lifebridge Health and E A Engineering Science and Technology, as well
as employees and students at the University of Baltimore. Thirty examples of
rude behavior were posed to respondents, each linked to a five point Likert
scale ranging from 1 (not offensive) to 5 (most offensive). Respondents were
asked to indicate the degree to which they personally considered each behavior
offensive.
As you might expect, Professor Forni is charming and wonderful to
talk with, and he can address a broad range of issues connected to civility for
any story on the subject. Reporters who wish to speak with P.M. Forni or to
request a review copy of his book, Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules
of Considerate Conduct, should contact Amy Lunday at 443-287-9960 or
acl@jhu.edu.
Forni's Web site is
http://www.jhu.edu/civility/
###
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