There Is a 'Villain' in Our Company... The Worst Type Ranked Number One

The Worst Office Villain Ranked by Employees: 'Gapjil and Verbal Abuse' Tops the List
Need to Focus on Response Systems and Organizational Culture Improvement Rather Than Unconditional Punishment

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[Asia Economy Reporter Intern Lee Gyehwa] A public official at the Jeonnam Provincial Office who repeatedly used abusive language and high-handed behavior toward subordinates has been dismissed. According to Jeonnam Province on the 20th, a personnel committee recently held a meeting and decided on the severe disciplinary action of dismissal against Mr. A, a man in his 50s belonging to a certain business office, on charges of power harassment. It was investigated that Mr. A frequently used abusive language such as "You XXX-less" and "Are you ignoring me right now?" toward female subordinates and others in the office. Jeonnam Province also decided on a light disciplinary action of salary reduction against Mr. B, a man in his 50s belonging to the main office, on charges of power harassment and other misconduct. Mr. B was also found to have raised his voice and used abusive language multiple times toward subordinates during work processes, saying things like "Do it properly."

The worst office villain most commonly identified by office workers was the 'power harassment and abusive language type.' According to HR tech company Incruit, 8 out of 10 office workers consider colleagues who harass employees with inappropriate language or power harassment as so-called 'villains.' An office villain refers to a person who shamelessly uses words and actions that lower the morale of colleagues and employees at work and negatively affect work performance.

Such power harassment and abusive language are not merely typical value conflicts between senior and junior employees but have a high potential to escalate into workplace bullying issues. Because of this, if handled poorly, it can lead to legal disputes and cause significant harm to fellow employees. Experts advise that companies must respond systematically and strategically to minimize losses. At the 'Office Villains, Understanding and Responding' seminar hosted by the law firm Yulchon, Professor Kim Kyung-il of Ajou University (Department of Psychology) analyzed the psychology of office villains by type.

The first type is those who instrumentalize and justify bullying. When faced with a choice to sacrifice one person to save five, they decide to sacrifice one without hesitation. Even in situations where the brain would emotionally conflict, no conflict arises. In organizations where sacrificing the few for the many is easily decided, this type can easily appear.

The second type is those who actually hate someone. Most people feel distress when they see someone suffer, but those who hate someone may feel pleasure when the hated person suffers. This occurs when emotional bonds, or attachment, have not developed. This type justifies bad methods that achieve results. It can appear in organizational cultures that prioritize results over processes.

In this way, when office villains exist, an organizational culture unfavorable to 'good people' can form. Their primary target is good people. Altruistic individuals can become a thorn in the side of those who make empty promises for personal gain. If good people targeted by office villains are undervalued or disciplined, an undesirable organizational culture can take root.

Attorney Cho Sang-wook of Yulchon said, "From a corporate perspective, rather than simply disciplining problematic employees, a comprehensive approach is needed to understand why problematic employees arise, how companies can respond legally and reasonably, and how to create an organizational culture that prevents the emergence of problematic employees."

Regarding criticisms that despite the 'Workplace Bullying Prohibition Act' being in place for three years, after-the-fact measures remain insufficient, Professor Seol Dong-hoon of Jeonbuk National University (Department of Sociology) suggested, "If problems do not improve despite changes in the system, it is necessary to reform the system considering various cases."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.