Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Swearing at work is good for you.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article349171.ece

By PETE BELL

Published: Today

F*** me! Boffins have found swearing at work can fight stress.

It seems foul-mouthed kitchen genius Gordon Ramsay may be onto a winner when it comes to boosting morale in the workplace.

The University of East Anglia said a study of leadership styles found the use of "taboo language" boosted team spirit.

Professor Yehuda Baruch, professor of management at the Norwich-based institution, warned bosses that any moves to prevent workers from swearing could have a negative impact.

He said: "In most scenarios, in particular in the presence of customers or senior staff, profanity must be seriously discouraged or banned.

"However, our study suggested that, in many cases, taboo language serves the needs of people for developing and maintaining solidarity, and as a mechanism to cope with stress. Banning it could backfire.

"Managers need to understand how their staff feel about swearing. The challenge is to master the art of knowing when to turn a blind eye to communication that does not meet with their own standards."



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