Although many outsiders might regard academic life as idyllic, the reality is that it can be rife with toxic characters.
Surveys show that most employees will encounter at least one toxic boss in their careers, and academia is no different. Institutions can change quickly when new administrators step in. Over a long career, the place you joined may evolve into a place you would never have chosen to be. The people who convinced you to join the institution have probably departed. In the academic workplace, with jobs scarce and tenure-track jobs even scarcer, finding a job at a different institution is often not a viable option to fix a toxic problem.
Toxic bosses are more than just jerks; they create and maintain a heightened level of social and organizational dysfunction that causes excessive stress among employees and needless strain when it comes to achieving institutional goals. Whatever the type, the result is a difficult work environment full of tension and uncertainty.
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