![]() Look across your organization, where one-out-of-two people believe in some form of a conspiracy theory. When first inquiring about the presence of conspiracies in the workplace, it is tempting to believe that they are isolated to a particular group, psychological profile, or level of education. Negative workplace consequences increase when people spread them before checking the source’s reliability and reputation. At its worst, CTs can produce divisiveness, destroy trust, increase employee turnover, decrease performance, and reduce financial results. At its best, the inclination to believe CTs provokes a healthy skepticism, which encourages further investigation and data collection. After mounting investigative and scientific evidence, the facts revealed tobacco companies colluded to hide medical data about the harmfulness of smoking cigarettes. ![]() For example, for decades, consumers and scientists claimed cigarettes were harmful and that tobacco companies lied in denying the health risks. In fairness, not all CTs are harmful or unfounded. Uscinski and his coauthors define a conspiracy “as a secret arrangement between a small group of actors to usurp political or economic power, violate established rights, hide vital secrets, or illicitly cause widespread harm.” The conspirators “act in secret for their own benefit against the common good.” CTs are dangerous when “false, harmful, and unjustified.” Many leaders have experienced the negative effects of wild rumors in their organizations CTs are that and more. ![]() Tools for Dealing with Conspiracy Theories in the Workplace The authors concluded, “Misinformation fueled by rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories can have potentially serious implications on the individual and community if prioritized over evidence-based guidelines.” The volume and speed at which conspiracy theories spread, along with their scope and impact, is hard to appreciate. Nichols contends that despite a person’s hard-earned expertise, many forces have left us with conversations where “my opinion is as good as your opinion.” One study on reports of rumors, stigma, and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 found that 82 percent of the 2,276 claims were false. Naval War College, argues that society is vulnerable to an intensifying interest in CTs when it ignores experts. Tom Nichols, author of the “Death of Expertise” and professor of public policy at the U.S. The deterioration in individuals’ ability to engage in rational, coherent, and respectful dialogue about differences puts organizations at risk. Conspiracy Theories as an Emerging Threat This article aims to equip leaders with tools to recognize and prevent the spread of CTs in their organizations, and to intervene swiftly if/when they do arise. On the flip side, organizations are more likely to keep employees engaged if managers are vigilant towards corruption, demonstrate transparency, and hold power-holders accountable. Research in the British Journal of Psychology shows that conspiracy theories in the workplace may demonstrate an employee’s feelings about the company with lower commitment and job satisfaction and a greater readiness to leave. In writing this article, we “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” We put aside our political differences because our research shows that “conspiratorial thought is not correlated with partisanship.” People with different political affiliations “are equally likely to accept conspiracy theories that denigrate their rivals.” While our views differ, we share a growing mutual concern: organizations that ignore CTs’ impact in the workplace may be unprepared for very real challenges. We have significant differences of opinion about political “facts” and their interpretation. ![]() We, the authors, carry two different social and political perspectives one of us tends to see political issues through a conservative lens the other, progressive. “Managers and employees should be careful not to dismiss conspiracy theorizing as harmless rumors and gossip.” Conspiracy theories can show up in benign ways, such as Jane is pregnant and in more severe forms such as talking about a perceived injustice, such as the real reason for that recent promotion. Researchers found that conspiracy theorists often distrust authority and focus more on their interests they will deceive others to achieve their own goals. Even in workplaces where the vast majority of employees have similar political beliefs, conspiratorial mindsets can present challenges for companies.
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