Workers prefer a consistently harsh boss to an unpredictable one, study finds

'We found that inconsistent treatment is much more stressful than being treated poorly all the time'

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Employees prefer a consistently unfair boss to an erratic line manager, a new study found.

Researchers from Michigan State University(MSU) found a manager who easily changes from courteous to rude is more stressful than an unswervingly bad boss.

The study, published in the Academy of Management Journal, involved a laboratory experiment measuring the stress levels of 160 students.

A third of those students were treated fairly, a third unfairly and a third erratically - from fair to unfair.

The researchers also conducted a field study of 95 employers in a variety of industries - the results from which supported the lab experiment results regarding worker-manager relations.

Lead author Fadel Matta, from the MSU Broad College of Business, said: "Our findings essentially show that employees are better off if their boss is a consistent jerk rather than being a loose cannon who's fair at times and unfair at other times.

"We found that inconsistent treatment is much more stressful than being treated poorly all the time."

Co-author, Professor Brett Scott concluded that people valued consistency and predicability in treatment as much as whether the treatment itself was fair.

He added: "Let's not lose sight of the fact that the best outcomes for employees occurred when their supervisors were consistently fair

"However, if supervisors are going to be unfair, the results suggest that they would be better off behaving that way all of the time.

"Prioritising self-discipline, focus and careful thinking could help deliver leaders who are not just fair some of the time, but who are instead fair almost all of the time."