Minding Our Business
A monthly article written by Dean Becton
Some of Us Can't Just "Shake It Off" When Our Coworkers Are "Mean"
Many people believe that incivility at work is running rampant. So, what is workplace incivility? Workplace incivility refers to low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others such as being disrespectful or rude to others, showing up late repeatedly for meetings, blackmailing or talking behind other employee's backs, sabotaging someone's projects or assignments, trying to ruin someone's reputation, etc.
Workplace incivility isn't new, and there is evidence to suggest that workplace incivility has been on the rise for some time. According to surveys, many Americans believe incivility in the workplace has increased over the past few years (e.g., Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate, Society for Human Resource Management). These studies were published before the pandemic, and evidence suggests that workplace incivility increased even more during the pandemic and persists at a high-level today. Several factors may contribute to the increase in workplace incivility. These include increased workloads and stress, a lack of job security, and the use of technology for communication. The latter can make it easier for people to be rude or disrespectful. Additionally, social and political polarization in society may spill over into the workplace, leading to uncivil behavior.
According to Christine Porath, workplace incivility can have serious consequences for both employees and companies. Experiencing workplace incivility can negatively impact the recipient’s mental and physical well-being. It can reduce their ability to process and recall information, increase dysfunctional and aggressive thoughts, interfere with their working memory, and decrease their overall performance. Workplace incivility can even impact those who aren’t the target of the behavior but witness it. Observing a coworker being the target of incivility can make one feel annoyed, upset, angry, distressed, or threatened. Customers who witness incivility, even when directed at others, can change their perception of the company, make them question whether they want to do business there, make them think the company should do more to protect employees, or negatively impact their willingness to use the company’s products or services.
Organizations should take workplace incivility seriously and take steps to prevent it. This may involve implementing policies and training programs to promote respectful communication and behavior, as well as holding employees accountable for uncivil behavior. By addressing workplace incivility, organizations can create a more positive and productive work environment for their employees. Dealing with uncivil coworkers can be difficult and stressful, but it’s important to address the issue in a professional and respectful manner. Here are some tips you can use to handle uncivil coworkers:
- Stay calm: When someone is rude or uncivil, it can be easy to get emotional or defensive. However, it's important to stay calm and composed to avoid escalating the situation.
- Address the behavior: Be specific about the behavior that bothers you and explain why it's unacceptable. Use "I" statements to avoid sounding accusatory.
- Seek support: If the situation is too difficult to handle on your own, seek support from a manager, HR representative, or a trusted colleague. While the uncivil behavior may not rise to the level of an HR policy violation, it is good to inform your supervisor and/or HR of the behavior.
- Document the behavior: If the behavior continues, document the incidents to provide evidence of the problem.
- Set boundaries: If someone is consistently rude or uncivil, it's important to set boundaries to protect yourself. This may involve limiting interactions or involving management.
- Practice self-care: Dealing with rude or uncivil coworkers can be draining, so practice self-care and seek support from friends and family.
As a manager or supervisor, there are additional steps that you can take to address uncivil behavior between employees to ensure a positive and productive work environment:
- Listen to both sides: Before taking any action, listen to both sides of the situation to get a full understanding of what happened.
- Set expectations: Clearly communicate your expectations for behavior in the workplace, and explain the consequences of uncivil behavior.
- Provide support: If necessary, provide support or resources to help employees manage their emotions and improve their communication skills.
- Follow up: After addressing the behavior, follow up with the employees involved to ensure the issue has been resolved.
- Lead by example: As a manager, it's important to model respectful behavior and hold yourself to the same standards you expect from your employees.
- Monitor the situation: Keep an eye on the situation to ensure that the behavior does not continue or escalate. If the behavior does continue, be prepared to take further action, which may include disciplinary action.
Addressing uncivil behavior can be uncomfortable, but it's important to do so and to maintain a professional and respectful demeanor to avoid making the situation worse. We owe it to ourselves and our coworkers to be kind to each other and confront "bad blood" in the workplace. For more on what organizations can do to address workplace incivility, check out Dr. Porath's article in the Harvard Business Review. If you have thoughts or suggestions about this topic and how best to address it in organizations, I'd love to hear from you.
2023 Alumni of the Year Recipients
Southern Miss Business has a long history of producing outstanding graduates who distinguish themselves in their career endeavors. In 2001, the Business Advisory Council and the business school began honoring outstanding alumni of the year to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates. In 2011, the addition of honoring an outstanding young alumni of the year was established and was given to an accomplished graduate under 40 years old.
This month, we were pleased to honor two individuals as our Alumna of the Year and our Young Alumna of the Year.
Nell O’Neal Murray
2023 Alumna of the Year
Nell O’Neal Murray has spent her life’s work on business and economic research, marketing, project development, educational innovation, and community development. Having grown up in the family business, Nell’s parents instilled in her at an early age a strong work ethic and the importance of community. With 15 years in higher education administration, Murray is known for her dedication to working with young people to assist them with career and education choices.
Additionally, over the last 50 years, Murray Consulting Services has provided clients from a multitude of industries assistance with public relations, strategic planning, project development, grant writing, disaster recovery and mitigation, and economic development. As a result, funding in the millions of dollars from successful grants was acquired for numerous clients. Murray is a member of the Southern Miss Business Advisory Council, where she served as president from 2020-22.
Allie Williamson
2023 Young Alumna of the Year
Allie Williamson is the proud owner of Southern Domestic Diva, a multi-service cleaning company operating out of Southwest Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. Williamson is from Monticello, Mississippi, and graduated from Southern Miss with her bachelor's in Hospitality Management. In 2014, Southern Domestic Diva was formed, and in 2019, she expanded the business in Southwest Mississippi. She has grown an empire made up of more than 70 women. Allie and her team serve over 800 clients in Southwest Mississippi and the Nashville metropolitan area, offering services for residential, commercial, and rental properties. With over 10 years of cleaning experience, Southern Domestic Diva provides unmatched cleaning services, which always includes a touch of southern hospitality.
Stay in the 'Sip Fellows
Two Southern Miss Business undergraduate accounting students were recently selected for the Stay in the ‘Sip Fellowship program, awarded by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor (OSA). This is only the second year the OSA has awarded this fellowship and the first year for Southern Miss students to be selected. Through the fellowship, the students will receive full tuition, including books and fees, get paid for their internship, and are guaranteed employment upon graduation.
Tyler Howard, junior on the Hattiesburg campus
Amber Tran, senior on the Gulf Park campus
CEO Max Draughn Guest Lectures in Healthcare Marketing Course
Max Draughn, CEO of Heartwood Capital, Inc., guest lectured in Dr. Kelli King's Healthcare Regulations and Ethics class this month. Mr. Draughn shared with students his experiences of building a successful pharmaceutical company. He also gave motivational and career advice for students interested in pursuing jobs in the industry.
Inspired Leaders Series, Jan Larsen '83
Each semester, Southern Miss Business invites industry leaders to share their insights with the campus community as part of the Inspired Leaders Series. This month, we had the pleasure of hosting Jan Larsen as this semester's Inspired Leader. Larsen has built a successful career in medical sales and works in the Interventional Cardiology Space with Boston Scientific. During her long career in the industry, she has been a top sales representative for the cardiology division, consistently ranked in the top 10% of the sales force. In 2022, Jan was honored by Boston Scientific as the Global Volunteer recipient for her volunteer work with a nonprofit organization called HeartGift. HeartGift is an organization that raises funds to help pay for surgery for children with congenital heart disease, where care is non-existent.
During Larsen's presentation at Southern Miss, she shared advice on what she wished she would have known when she was a student here at Southern Miss. Her wisdom on the importance of creating a personal brand, how to stand out among peers, and the power of being humble and kind were some of the points that resonated with the audience. While in town, Larsen also had dinner with a group of select students and spoke with the current class of Eagle Scholars.
Dr. Heather Annulis Earns Prestigious WHEMN Leadership Award
Our very own Dr. Heather Annulis, director of the School of Leadership, recently earned the Leadership Award from the Women in Higher Education Mississippi Network (WHEMN). Dr. Annulis received the award at the 20th annual WHEMN Conference in Oxford, Mississippi.
The WHEMN Leadership Award recognizes a woman who takes a role in mentoring other women. According to WHEMN guidelines, the recipient must demonstrate leadership skills and enhance campus climate by inspiring her colleagues and the institution to higher levels of achievement. Furthermore, the recipient would be recognized for her innovative approach to leadership challenges.
“I am humbled to be honored in this way by my peers. It is such a privilege to help mentor our Human Capital Development graduate students. What they learn in this program will help them develop other human capital, which benefits our state and region.” — Dr. Heather Annulis
Dr. Annulis has spent her career bringing innovative strategies to higher education. Selflessness, a servant’s heart, a never-give-up spirit, and genuine kindness toward others are keys to her success. She states, “True leaders lift others up and see the positives in every situation and every human being.”
Empowering Entrepreneurs
The Hatchery continues to take its support of the Southern Miss community of entrepreneurs and innovators to the next level by introducing new opportunities and resources designed to help entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
Building Capacity. Building Community.
Coffee w/ an Entrepreneur
The Hatchery has had the pleasure of hosting a truly outstanding group of entrepreneurs and industry leaders through its Coffee w/ an Entrepreneur speaker series. This semester, Paul Sims from South Mississippi Crawfish Company, Vixon Sullivan from Vixon Sullivan Art, Hagan Walker from Glo®, and Danyella Terrell from Boujee Boss Pop-Up Market have each shared their inspirational stories and insights on a variety of topics. Participants heard tales of successfully juggling entrepreneurial ventures with full-time jobs, gaining national recognition through HGTV, and transforming classroom projects into multi-million-dollar businesses. As the end of the semester approaches, The Hatchery is thrilled to announce that Nelson Haskin Jr. from Blue Jazz Café and Christen Raanes from Little Wine Shoppe will be the final two speakers on April 4 and April 18.
Lunch w/ The Hatchery
The Hatchery's Lunch w/ The Hatchery series during the spring semester has introduced Southern Miss students, faculty, and staff to the University's prominent role in the Gulf Coast's "blue economy." The series has also highlighted significant shifts in international relations, international trade, and intellectual property rights. Throughout the semester, guest speakers, including Gulf Blue Navigator Program Manager Hailey Bathurst, Southern Miss Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program Manager Natalie Guess, and Mississippi Small Business Development Center's International Trade Specialist Anthony Cambas, shared their expertise and insights. The final lunch session of the semester will feature Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker, discussing the promotion of a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Founders Society
This spring, The Hatchery embarked on a mission to better support student entrepreneurs with existing businesses. Their solution? The launch of the Founders Society––an initiative dedicated to fostering a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. The monthly dinner meetups have provided an opportunity for student entrepreneurs from all corners of campus to connect, network, and discuss topics relevant to their stage of business development.
CheckPoint
The Hatchery believes in the potential of every student to create something remarkable. To cultivate this potential, The Hatchery developed CheckPoint, a monthly pitch event designed to offer aspiring student entrepreneurs $500 in seed funding to bring their ideas to life. The goal of CheckPoint is to support the development of simple market experiments that allow students to test their ideas' desirability, an essential step in the early stages of any business venture. At the most recent event in March, Anthropology and Sociology major Brea Craddolph received a resounding 'Yes' from the student evaluators for the business idea Scones and Bones. With the seed funding received, Brea will be able to test products at several upcoming events and gain valuable feedback from potential customers.
Southern Miss SBDC Counselor, Rita Mitchell, Named Director
The Mississippi Small Business Development Center (SBDC) recently announced the promotion of Rita Mitchell to director of The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) SBDC Center. Mitchell has been a valuable member of the SBDC team since 2015, serving as a Business Counselor and providing small business guidance and expertise to the greater Hattiesburg community. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing USM SBDC operations and ensuring the center continues to provide high-quality counseling and resources to small businesses throughout the USM SBDC footprint.
I am honored, excited, and energized to be trusted with this new role. USM, the greater Pine Belt area, and the surrounding counties are legendary drivers of dynamic innovation and vibrant entrepreneurship opportunities." — Rita Mitchell
School of Leadership Receives $100,000 Workforce Training Grant
The School of Leadership has received a $102,000 Workforce Training Grant from AccelerateMS for the development and implementation of a short-term program to help mitigate the effects of disruption to the supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This training program provides unique knowledge to help participants better understand how to future-proof supply chains against disruptions similar to those we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.” — Dr. Abu Haddud
AccelerateMS develops strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By reviewing labor market data, supply chain needs, available educational and training resources, and community assets, they are able to provide targeted resources regionally to satisfy workforce deficiencies.
Southern Miss Business Faculty Receive Grants & Funding
University Grants & Awards
- Dr. John Kmiec, Professor of Practice of Human Capital Development | 2023 Excellence in Online Teaching Award
- Dr. Chris Croft, Assistant Professor of Sport Management | 2023 Junior Faculty Outstanding Research Award
- Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate, Assistant Professor of Human Capital Development | Aubrey Keith Lucas and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award 2023-2024
- Dr. Chao Meng, Assistant Professor of Marketing | Aubrey Keith Lucas and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award 2023-2024
- Dr. Wei Wang, Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism | Aubrey Keith Lucas and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award 2023-2024
- Dr. Banu Bas, Assistant Professor of Marketing | Aubrey Keith Lucas and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award 2023-2024
- Dr. Carsten Schmidtke, Assistant Teaching Professor of Applied Technology | Summer Grant for the Improvement of Instruction from the Office of the Provost. His work will focus on curriculum review for the Applied Technology Bachelor of Applied Science degree program.
External Funding and Grants
Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate | Funding for Research on Women in Leadership
Dr. Barhate received $1,000 from the Committee of Services and Resources for Women (CSRW) as part of the 2023 Peggy Jean Connor Competition for her project titled Women's Gendered Social Identity and its Impact on their Leadership Aspirations. The selection of Dr. Barhate's proposal to receive this funding highlights the quality and importance of her project toward the advancement of women.
Dr. Yuanyuan Zhang | Subcontract Grant with MITRE
Dr. Zhang recently secured an $85,000 subcontract with MITRE, a non-profit organization sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to modernize the surveillance of the built environment for more physical activities and better health of our population.
Alumnus Joshua Cathey Earns First Place at the Aramark Culinary Excellence Competition
Executive Chef Joshua Cathey '12 recently captured first place in the Aramark Culinary Excellence Competition held at Auburn University. Cathey competed against chefs from each corner of the Aramark Collegiate Hospitality South Region.
“I love bringing new flavors to our students, and ACE gives us the opportunity to put our creativity to the test and get inspired by fellow Aramark Collegiate Hospitality chefs from across the country.” — Joshua Cathey
Cathey will represent Aramark Collegiate Hospital at the National ACE competition in July. His winning dish consisted of blackened jerk fish atop coconut rice with citrus slaw and lime crema.
Still Working 9 to 5
The screening will take place at the USM Gulf Park Campus in the Fleming Education Center auditorium on May 5, 2023, at 5:30 p.m.
The School of Leadership will host the first screening of the documentary Still Working 9 to 5 at an educational institution. This award-winning documentary explores the challenges and barriers to success for women in the workforce and society, and what progress has yet to be made for women since the original release of the 1980 blockbuster comedy 9 to 5, about three secretaries fighting for basic workplace equality.
This event will kick off research in the Human Capital Development doctoral programs on supporting women leaders in the workplace. We hope you will all join us for a great evening! It is a free event, but we encourage you to reserve your ticket by clicking the link below.
If you have questions, please email schoolofleadership@usm.edu
Industry Professionals Participate in Mock Sales Calls in Advanced Sales Course
Fourteen Southern Miss Business Students in the MKT 400: Advanced Sales course participated in their second mock sales call this month in the Southern Miss Business Professional Sales Lab.
This was the students' first sales call with true industry sales professionals. Tasked with learning and then pitching Fastenal product solutions, students tested their sales skills against representatives from Fastenal! Three mock offices facilitated this class exercise with live video streaming and recording. An additional Fastenal representative scored student performance alongside faculty. Throughout the semester, the Advanced Sales course encompasses four mock sales calls for students to execute. To get more comfortable and confident, the first call is with their professor, Mr. Kevin Buckley, while the remaining three are with actual corporate buyers.
Fastenal is one of the Professional Sales Program’s financial sponsors. Check out their LinkedIn page linked below for more information on the Southern Miss Business Sales Program.
Upcoming Spring Events
- Tue, Apr 4: Coffee w/ an Entrepreneur in The Hatchery
- Wed, Apr 5: Lunch with the Hatchery
- Tue, Apr 18: Coffee w/ an Entrepreneur in The Hatchery
- Fri, Apr 28: Beta Gamma Sigma Induction & Collegewide Awards Day
- Thur, May 11: Graduate School Commencement
- Fri, May 12: Undergraduate Commencement
- Sat, May 13: Gulf Park Commencement
Class Notes
- Jordan Niezgoda '17 promoted to Executive Producer at News 12 The Bronx in New York City.
Business Alumni, What's New With You?
Southern Miss Business Alumni, we want to hear from you! Do you have good news to share? Maybe you got a new job, a promotion, or won an award! Please share your good news with us so we can help celebrate you and include your accomplishments in future newsletters. Click the link below to fill out the form.