What about one rotten, or toxic, employee? Can their influence on the the team create a domino effect and ruin your company culture? Dr. Will Felps, a professor at UNSW, would confidently answer ‘YES,’ drawing from his research on group dynamics and performance titled ‘How, When, and Why Bad Apples Spoil the Barrel.’
In his study, Felps inserted an ‘undercover actor’ into 4-person college-level teams tasked with a project. The actor assumed one of three personas:
- The Jerk: Critical and insulting, offering only toxic comments.
- The Slacker: Demonstrating disinterest and a lack of contribution.
- The Depressive/Pessimist: Openly expressing reluctance, doubting the task’s value and the group’s ability.
Despite the role played, the outcome remained consistent. A bad apple detrimentally impacted team performance by 30 to 40%. What’s worse, other team members soon adopted similar negative behaviours. Insults flew with a jerk onboard, disengagement spread with a slacker, and negativity infected the group with a depressive/pessimist.
So, what can a team do when plagued by a Bad Apple? Interestingly, Dr. Felps found one exceptional group where the leader’s approach made a difference.
“There was just one guy who was a particularly good leader. And what he would do is he would ask questions. And he would engage all the team members and defuse conflicts.”
This diplomatic approach prevented conflicts that typically arose from the bad apple’s behaviour. While not yet validated by research, asking questions seems promising.
In my work with leaders, we emphasize:
- Modelling the desired behaviour.
- Naming observed dysfunctions neutrally.
- Asking good questions to engage and open up thinking.
- Helping the group refocus on the task.
“Leaders need not have all the answers, often asking the right questions is what is required.”
If you would like some help with any challenging people leadership issues, feel free to give us call. We are here to help.
The Workplace Coach 
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