Swearing At Work

Son of a B- it’s been noted to me
That swearing at work is all right
There’s a study – a case - in a far away place
That brings it all up into sight
East Anglia U - a professor or two
Did a study on swearing at work
Anti-social’s now sociable and swearing negotiable
And the swearer no longer a jerk
I swear said the pair - this will get us to where
It boosts team spirit among the staff
To GD that here and F that there
Will raise morale up by half
So to all you prudes who think it is rude
To hear someone cussing you out
Just calm your jets – I’m taking bets
Your morale's what he’s worried about.

Mdailey
04/24/09

The Story:
Professors at the University of East Anglia have studies the use of profanity in the workplace and assessed its implications for managers. They said it helped foster solidarity among employees and expressed frustrations, stress and other feelings. They assessed that swearing would become more common as traditional taboos are broken down. “We hope that this study will serve not only to acknowledge the part that swearing plays in our work and our lives, but also to indicate that leaders sometimes need to “think differently” and be open to intriguing ideas. The study, “Swearing at Work and Permissive Leadership Culture: when anti-social becomes social and incivility is acceptable”, is published in the latest issue of the Leadership and Organizational Development Journal.