As many as 65 per cent of IT workers have experienced bullying, according to a survey published by trade union Unite earlier this year.

More than half of technology professionals said that they had suffered at the hands of a more senior staff member and chief among their complaints were unachievable deadlines, constant monitoring and excessive criticism over minor issues.

As a result, 51 per cent of those working in the profession had experienced physical or behavioural problems, such as constant headaches, panic and anxiety-related disorders, as well as increased reliance on alcohol and illegal drugs.

Such results are of extreme concern. Is bullying really as endemic in IT culture as it appears? And if so, how can IT directors create a more harmonious working environment?

In the opinion of Robert Myatt, head of research at occupational psychologist Kaisen Consulting, bullying is an emotive term that needs to be treated with care. In most cases, he says, the situation is not so much maliciousness as ineffective leadership, or a lack of appropriate skills.

He says such definitions are important because wider research indicates that the biggest influence on staff morale is the boss and how they behave. “The single most influential factor in generating negative feelings and driving someone to leave an organisation is the leader. But if you can get the relationship right, you can get the most out of people for the benefit of the organisation and have a positive impact,” says Myatt.

The most damaging leadership behaviours are micro-management, over-criticism and giving insufficient praise, using fear as a motivator and failing to delegate because of a desire for perfection, he adds.

Myatt also points to a study undertaken by Kaisen Consulting last year, where the company sampled thousands of senior managers and examined their disposition against Hogan Development Survey psychometric measures. The individuals concerned worked across a wide range of industries in the UK, although 82 per cent were British nationals and 80 per cent were male.

The survey findings indicated that the most common category of manager at 22 per cent had a “confident/arrogant” personality type ­ see box, page 23. Myatt says the frequent lack of self-awareness of such individuals also means they are most likely to be viewed as bullying in their behaviour, whether their actions are intentional or not.

In law, bullying is often considered as harassment and relates to the impact of behaviour on an individual, rather than the underlying intention of the perpetrator. As Rob Barkworth, assessment, development and diversity specialist at occupational psychologist Pearn Kandola says: “If you feel harassed, then it is harassment ­- and leaders need to be aware that different people can perceive behaviour differently.

“It is important to understand that and respond appropriately if you suspect that your behaviour might not have been as suitable as it could have been.”

Tell-tale signs

For the less self-aware, however, there are various tell-tale signs that members of the team might be under stress. The most obvious sign is that staff turnover starts to rise. More subtle indicators relate to falling productivity, and individuals not taking the initiative or not responding to emails.

Other pointers managers should consider include team members repeatedly turning up late for work, taking noticeable amounts of sick leave or even trying to sabotage projects as retribution for their underlying resentment and anger.

IT directors attempting to rectify such issues should turn their attention towards their own behaviour, using techniques such as feedback, 360-degree appraisals or psychometric testing. As role models, the behaviour of the IT leaders ­ whether positive or negative ­ will be imitated by other team members, who inevitably take their lead from the boss.

Technology leaders should also take time to get to know individual staff members and understand what makes them tick. The approach will boost motivation and help develop an open enough relationship that could prevent further misunderstandings.

But there are other, very practical steps that can be taken. One technique is to introduce a bullying and harassment policy with the help of human resources, which Barkworth says should define appropriate activity and associated behaviours. “Then everyone will have a benchmark or framework to understand what is considered acceptable or not,” he says.

The policy should also describe any action that would be taken as a result of bullying or harassment, says Barkworth. “A common reaction is to go for a disciplinary hearing, but that is not the best practice approach. It is far better to try to resolve the situation informally at first by promoting discussion,” he says.

Keep it light

“Once you go down a formal route, people become very defensive and entrenched in their views, but if things are informal, it enables individuals to understand the impact of their behaviour on others and gives them the opportunity to change.”

The approach not only creates a more positive working environment, but is also a significantly quicker and cheaper alternative to instituting formal proceedings. Moreover, Barkworth adds, the very act of trying to deal with a bullying problem will have a positive impact on the team and change how they feel about working for the organisation.

Claire Hamon, chief information officer at property and construction firm Rok Group, says another approach to creating a more harmonious environment is to plan projects carefully and build in contingencies to create “a more predictable path through the cycle”.

While the large number of variables involved mean it will never be possible to guarantee that every project is delivered exactly on time and to budget, managing expectations from the outset will help to reduce pressure on the IT team ­ and lessen the risk of negative behaviour if things go wrong.

“It is about always being honest with people regarding the levels of certainty in the plan and being honest from the outset as to the extent of the inherent risks and assumptions so that you get buy-in,” says Hamon.

She also believes that it is important to encourage shared ambitions and goals to promote team working. Each member of the team should understand everyone else’s role as this will reduce finger-pointing if problems occur. Encouraging a culture of open communications is, therefore, crucial.

“If you have an open environment when things are going well, people are more likely to speak out if things are going badly,” says Hamon. “So establishing an environment where discussion is welcomed can really help. I would put it all under the banner of leadership, which is about creating an environment that is fair and supportive, yet challenging, and everyone is treated reasonably.”