Does your boss drive you nuts? You can’t get a new job in this recession, but you would swear this guy acts like an ape: bullying workers under him, strutting around, puffing out his chest, preening himself, adding touches of bright color (like a red tie) to his outfits. It might make you feel better to know that this is chimpanzee behavior!
The Oct. 7th edition of the Independent, Kathy Marks quotes researcher Jeffrey Braithwaite as saying, “From an evolutionary point of view, about 200 species are known to strut and puff out their chests. Homo sapiens evolved over two million years to be tribal and hierarchical, and it’s really not much different from other species at the evolutionary, biological level. Perhaps it’s imprinted on our genes.
“What we found was universal animalistic displays of power, masculinity, sexuality and authority that seem to be hard-wired in. This tribal culture is similar to what we would have seen in hunter-gatherer bands on the savannah in southern Africa. Groups were territorial in the past because it helped them survive. If you weren’t in a tight band, you didn’t get to pass on your genes. But it is surprising how many?workers are still very tribal in their behavior.”
What about women in the workplace? According to Braithwaite, some female bosses become “Alpha females” in order to compete with men, while others adopt “a more team-oriented style.”
Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
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