Study: One "Bad Apple" Spoils the Whole Office

Researchers at the University of Washington have confirmed what ombuds already know: One "bad apple" can spread negative behavior like a virus to bring down officemates or destroy a good team. Negative behavior outweighs positive behavior, so a bad apple can spoil the whole barrel, but one or two good workers can't "unspoil" it. "Companies need to move quickly to deal with such problems because the negativity of just one individual is pervasive and destructive and can spread quickly," said co-author Terence Mitchell, a professor of management and organization. The results are published in the current issue of the journal Research in Organizational Behaviour. (Yahoo News.)