Speaking of the political frame:
Interesting article in the chronicle about how people/parties will coalesce against politically wounded co-workers for little or no reason. It is written about faculty, but could easily be applied to any organization.
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2008/10/2008101501c.htm
I was thinking when we were discussing it, that the political frame was (not the HR frame ironically) the most human or maybe just the most animal-like: Anyone who has owned a pet cat may be familiar with how they will sometimes catch a mouse only to play with it then leave it for dead. I see similar behavior in co-workers. Some people seem to fuel a situation just for the sport of it, just to create gossip, entertainment, etc.
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I am taking a Law in Higher Ed class. This article made me think about the increased number of discussions going on within universities for a "bullying" policy. Reading about the behaviour is shocking; but it does happen, everywhere. Would like to think it happens only in high schools...just not the case.
B&D's description of highly effective cultures and how they operate suggests that other members of the faculty would come to the rescue in such a situation and protect one of their own. Maybe the desire for advancement requires faculty members to tear each other down.
I work with a teacher (full-time faculty) who has cancer and is frequently absent due to doctors’ appointments, tests, etc. He was also an assistant dean. Whenever he was absent, a number of his fellow faculty members make a big show about him not being there. They make sure everybody in the department was aware that he's out of the office and his duties were not being taken care of. You'd think that they would be more concerned with his health and volunteer to pitch in if needed.
After a year of this, he resigned his AD position due to the commotion. It was very sad to see him being jumped on, but even sadder to see his "team mates" doing the jumping.
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