Office Bully
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Even though most companies on paper say they don't tolerate bullying in the workplace, bullies can still thrive in office environments.

This may be explained by a social gift many bullies share: They know how to strategically abuse their coworkers - with belittling comments, deliberate exclusion and the like - while still garnering positive evaluations from their supervisors, researchers say.

"Many bullies can be seen as charming and friendly, but they are highly destructive and can manipulate others into providing them with the resources they need to get ahead," Darren Treadway, associate professor of organization and human resources at the University of Buffalo, said in a statement.

In a new study, Treadway and colleagues measured bullying behavior and career success for by looking at behavioral and job performance data from 54 employees at a mental health organization in the northwest U.S. The researchers found a strong correlation between bullying, social competence and positive job evaluations.

The findings are applicable outside the health industry, the researchers said, noting that as many as half of all employees in the U.S. have witnessed bullying at work.

Having an abusive boss or coworker can trigger stress, which is associated with a litany of mental and physical issues, including higher body weight and heart disease. One study last year found that avoiding an office bully might make employees feel worse and send them into a cycle of stress. Other research presented in 2008, found that office bullying might be more harmful than sexual harassment, linked to lower overall well-being, less job satisfaction and a greater likelihood of quitting.

Treadway said some ways employers might deal with office bullying include "incorporating measures of civility and camaraderie into performance evaluations, and by helping staff to develop the skills needed to manage bullies."

The research was detailed in the Journal of Managerial Psychology.