“Difficult to solve”: Political scientist sees a long road ahead for Limburg provincial administration after toxic leadership complaints
Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- UGent political scientist Filip De Rynck says Limburg’s provincial administration faces a lengthy process to address allegations of toxic leadership and an unsafe workplace culture.
- Unions say many employees have spoken anonymously because they fear dismissal or reprisals, while one worker has filed an official complaint.
- De Rynck says fear can drive staff to leave or disengage, undermining cooperation between civil servants and politicians.
Resolving the alleged toxic leadership within Limburg’s provincial administration will not be easy, according to UGent political scientist Filip De Rynck. Unions have collected numerous testimonies from employees who say they do not feel safe, and one worker has filed an official complaint.
De Rynck says such complaints are not rare in public-sector organizations. “When such cases become public, the impression often arises that it concerns an exceptional situation,” he says. “But that is not the case.” Similar stories, he adds, emerge in government services, administrations and political organizations, involving both politicians and senior civil servants.
Problems can remain hidden for a long time because employees fear consequences for their careers, evaluations or working conditions. That matches what unions say they have heard from staff at the Limburg administration, where many workers reportedly feel able to testify only anonymously. De Rynck warns that silence can damage an organization even more than openly naming the problems.
When such cases become public, the impression often arises that it concerns an exceptional situation, but that is not the case.
“An internal culture of fear is particularly unhealthy for an organization,” De Rynck says. Officials may leave, or remain but stop committing themselves to the organization. That harms politicians as well as colleagues, because politicians need effective staff to achieve their objectives.
De Rynck also distinguishes between strong leadership and toxic leadership. Politicians and senior officials can receive power without adequate preparation, he says. When authority is handled in a one-sided and authoritarian way, employees lose trust. A strong leader may create conflict, but should communicate openly and still make decisions that not everyone supports.
An internal culture of fear is particularly unhealthy for an organization.
About this summary
Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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