(From the news today and: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/15/study-finds-mean-people-earn-more-money/)
“The study, titled "Do Nice Guys—and Gals—Really Finish Last?", used survey data to examine "agreeableness" and found that men who disagreed far greater make 18%- or $9,772 annually- more in salary than those who agree. The salary disparity is far less among women, with disagreeable females making 5% or $1,828 than those who agree more.
Cornell professor Beth A. Livingston, who co-authored the study with Timothy A. Judge of the University of Notre Dame and Charlice Hurst of the University of Western Ontario, told the Wall Street Journal, "Nice guys are getting the shaft."
“‘The problem is, many managers often don't realize they reward disagreeableness," Livingston added. "You can say this is what you value as a company, but your compensation system may not really reflect that, especially if you leave compensation decisions to individual managers.’ "
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Wow, I can only think of two things when I read such information. First, I now realize that some of the people that I have worked with through the years weren’t horses rear-ends, they were just trying to provide better for their families! The other thought that comes to mind is hey, I’m not being grouchy, I’m just trying to up my bottom line.
Kidding aside, what can we learn from such data as this? First, we can see that human nature can rule in a workplace over good business practices at any given moment. If you are a manager and have a “pushover” of an employee that you know is non-confrontational, it is easier to be stern with them and easier to not cater to their desires because of their demeanor. On the other hand, if you have to confront the disagreeable employee on their performance or salary, you are more likely to be resistant to being as stern or less likely to want to give them bad news about a salary freeze or lesser raise than others. Also, the more confrontational employee is more likely to carry their grievances back to you or up the chain of command and can most likely get someone to listen to their case and give in to their bad behavior
Good old gender stereotypes are also at play in this study, it was determined. A male who is more agreeable does not conform to expected masculine behavior and may be considered as less assertive and therefore passed over when it comes to salary increases and promotional advances. Old school methods of management and corporate good old boy networks feed these situations where the lion who roars the loudest gets the most attention. It is thought if you aren’t able to “man-up”, you certainly cannot manage a portion of the business.
This disagreeable nature and rudeness however is not a benefit to an employer or to a customer base. Incivility at work can destroy the culture of the workplace. Increased turnover, poor training, poor public image and lack of return business can haunt a workplace where incivility reigns. People just are not naturally attracted to mean people. Patients will definitely find somewhere else to go if they see a workplace where employees are treated badly or where the bad attitudes of management trickle down to staff. Employees entering the hostile environment will quickly be searching for other places to work once they realize the uncivil nature of the workplace. We should always remember that people who are treated badly or perceive poor treatment will most likely tell tenfold the number of people that a satisfied, well treated person will.
Many of life’s choices and priorities come down to a clear choice. It seems this study brings out a great hidden element. If you are for yourself and your monetary future, be the grouch that will bring the bucks home to you. If you are for others and realize that the world is more than the money you make and advancing yourself, be agreeable, be the person people want to be around, and be the person who can help your workplace prosper.