Sometimes, the boss really is a psycho

The bully, the narcissist, the know-it-all, even the psychopath. We may not like them, or want our children to be like them. But chances are, almost everyone who has worked long enough has a horror story about a superior who generally behaved like Homer Simpson’s boss, Mr. Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns. A growing number of researchers are looking into what makes a real-life Mr. Burns, and what they are finding isn’t always pretty. “There are whole climates and cultures of abuse in the workplace,” said Darren Treadway, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo School of Management. His recent research looks at why bullies are able to persist, and sometimes even thrive, at work.