Gretchen Spreitzer interviewed on Australian Broadcasting Corporation podcast

April 21, 2016

Gretchen Spreitzer was interviewed about her ‘jerks at work’ research for an episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s RN podcast, Best Practice.

Early in the episode, Spreitzer explains, “A jerk can range from the person who harasses people … all the way to somebody who acts in incivil ways to others.” She elaborates that incivility is a milder form of negative behavior that is often hard to decipher in the moment.

The episode goes on to discuss the de-energizing effects of jerks (especially when the jerk is a supervisor), how some employees are immune to jerks, and how individual employees and workplaces can work to diffuse the impact of jerks at work.

Spreitzer is the Keith E. and Valerie J. Alessi Professor of Business Administration, professor of management and organizations, and the faculty director of the Center for Positive Organizations. Learn more about her ‘jerks’ research in the Journal of Applied Psychology article, “Destructive De-Energizing Relationships: How ThrivingBuffers Their Effect on Performance.”

Listen to the podcast: