Fair bosses pay a price

http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2014/fair-bosses-pay-a-price/

Published: March 24, 2014
Fair bosses pay a price
Contact(s): Andy Henion, Russell Johnson

Bosses who are fair make their workers happier and their companies more productive, but in the end may be burning themselves out. A new study led by Michigan State University’s Russell E. Johnson found the act of carefully monitoring the fairness of workplace decisions wears down supervisors mentally and emotionally.

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Managers who are fair cannot realistically avoid some burnout, he added. They just need to create situations in which they are better prepared to cope with the fatigue and overcome it. Tips for managers include getting sufficient sleep, taking short mental breaks during the workday, adhering to a healthy diet and detaching from work completely when outside of the office – for example, not reading email or memos at home after 7 p.m.

Johnson’s co-authors are Klodiana Lanaj, assistant professor at the University of Florida, and Christopher Barnes, assistant professor at the University of Washington, both doctoral graduates from MSU.