{"id":362,"date":"2026-08-16T11:23:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T11:23:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.fediscience.org\/rupture-de-catenaire\/?p=362"},"modified":"2026-08-16T11:23:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T11:23:44","slug":"do-not-be-an-ass-a-simple-measure-for-a-better-academic-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.fediscience.org\/rupture-de-catenaire\/2026\/08\/16\/do-not-be-an-ass-a-simple-measure-for-a-better-academic-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Do not be an ASS – a simple measure for a better academic culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Well, I am a „failure“: I spent the better part of my professional life within academia. Made it out, briefly, and then that part of the company closed. So, back into academia. With other word: I failed working outside academia. So far, at least. Who knows what life will hold in for me? Yes, I failed to make an academic career, too. And, yes, I have met a number of real, certified assholes along my way! And I met a number of fellow victims along my way, too. Anything wrong in academia? Can we do something about it?

The question is not any more whether we have a profound mental health crisis in the academic world (Bira 2019<\/a>, Luk\u00e1cs 2019<\/a>, Ribeiro 2024<\/a>, Hall 2024<\/a>, Balthazar-Meza 2025<\/a>, Levy 2025<\/a>, Schwaller 2025<\/a>, etc. etc.). We do! We also know what we should do about it (Green 2021<\/a>, Schwaller 2025<\/a>, K\u00f6slich-Strumann 2025<\/a>, Fourianalistyawati 2025<\/a>, etc. etc.). Thing is, these measures are as important as they are on an institutional level. And academia is sluggish as a tanker when it comes to implementing measures against bullying or misconduct. Should we conclude there is nothing we can do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, I am not a psychologist. I just have seen too many fellow lab and office mates been treated like shit. Seen too many brilliant people leaving academia for good. Many friends amongst them. Have been there myself: Books were stolen, weird stuff about behind my back told, have been insulted, lies were told, threads written to me. I could go on, but this is the internet. I can prove all that, but I have to stop where I do not have hard proof even though I could go on. But this blog post should not be a series of dark anecdotes. I save this for a beer with you, if we ever meet. Foremost this article should be about the things you can do, if you want to avoid making somebody’s life miserable!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For you want to be good. Don’t you? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The „typical“ researcher either rises through the ranks or will leave academia eventually. I strongly believe that the higher up you are, the bigger your lever is for good or worse. Being someone’s superior brings responsibility. People start „supervising“ bachelor or master students, then grad students. Then, they might be running a lab or a bunch of offices – scientific work has many faces. And somewhere along that road, I hope you were invited to learn on „how to supervise“ or „how to lead“. Was your workshop instructional? Have they ever told you how to prevent a toxic environment? Fine, what a relief. Yet, the papers I quoted suggest, that you are the exception. Or that many do not live up to the standards which are expected from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I dive in, a disclaimer: Yes, I have been a twat too. I sure hope not a permanent ass. But I did react annoyed. I yelled at people. I brushed them off. Some of my victims definitively deserved it. Some did not. I sincerely hope my apologies reached those and that I did not cause lasting damage. You might have been an ass too. Hardly anyone goes through this live without (accidentally) offending someone, without hurting someone. But this is not the point. This blog post is about toxic environments in academia. Place where real, certified assholes – not temporary ones – thrive. If in doubt there are criteria<\/a> for self assessment. I hope you know how to apologize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, toxic environments do not pop up. They evolve. It is a long slippery slope down to a cesspit. Sometimes having an asshole as boss catalyses generating more assholes. And here be dragons: If you find yourselves in a position where you have power over someone else the risk is great that you become stressed, that your workload is overwhelming. You make mistakes.

Now, we all know bullying at the workplace – we have been to school after all. We know about dark sarcasm. Most of us experienced or witnessed sexual harassment. Again, this blog post is about toxic environments. How do we avoid becoming complete assholes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Avoid being perceived as an asshole – limited resources<\/strong>

    If you are perceived as an ass, people will avoid you. They might brush you off in return. But your resources, your budget and your time are limited. You cannot treat every equal. And, this may come as a surprise: Nobody will expect it.

    There is no panacea, but one really promising preemptive move: Transparency. Say, your travel budget is limited: Have you considered to be transparent and let your people decide<\/em> in an open planning session? Or you decide and announce that next time someone else may go? You see, I am making things up. I am sure you know plenty scenarios where someone may think to have been treated unfairly. Being transparent about processes.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Avoid being perceived as an asshole – more transparency
    <\/strong>
    One resource flavour is not necessarily limited. Well, you can<\/em> limit it. And it is often limited to exercise power over someone else. This peculiar kind of resource is called „information“. You know about a channel of interest, a call for proposals? Share it with your group! Do not withhold such information. A university is not a Secret Service. There is no need-to-know principle in academia. Some low ranking student is eager to be in a meeting? If there is not a compelling reason to exclude her, take her in!

    You want to know a cardinal error? Only share information with someone special. A particular student or Postdoc. Start doing that, and you will soon have your group against you. (And do not tell me that you have never experienced it – this one is common place in academia.)
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Avoid being perceived as an asshole – having a code of conduct and live up to it<\/strong>

    A „code of conduct“ is nice to have. If you allow a known asshole to thrive in your group despite having a code of conduct, it is just bullshit. Any code of conduct which is not enforced is not only not worth the paper it is written on – it will be the fuel for even more fallouts as the bullies know how they are protected.

    As soon as you notice a breach: act! Somebody makes fun of someone? Talk! A more serious breach? Use your power for the good. It will not be easy. But avoidance will only make matters worse. Worst, you have to fire someone. Chances are, if you act early and in time, it will not come to that. People will learn, that they have to behave and be professionals.

    If you were the one who yelled or made a bad joke? Admit it (the other day). Apologize. This is time well spent! Don’t think you may be the exception to your own rules. This frames admitting mistakes as a necessary part of the process rather than failure. It will build trust! Everyone in your team is responsible for their actions – including you. There is no necessity to deflect blame. An apology will do.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Avoid being perceived as an asshole – inheriting a group
    <\/strong>
    Did you become boss, recently? You inherited a group? Look out! Chances are you entered Augean stables. Don’t listen to those shitting into it. Gossip is everywhere. Pay attention to those not talking. Those who look unhappy. Try to walk with them, perhaps to lunch. Listen carefully.

    It might take time. But consider that conflicts are everywhere. Learning about them early on might help. Try to avoid finding culprits. If people are suffering, then it’s for a reason. You might not be a mediator. Others are. Seek there help so sort out the mess, if there is any.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Avoid being perceived as an asshole – becoming a manager
    <\/strong>
    In an ideal world, you are not someone’s boss. OK, you occasionally have to be. But seriously: being a researcher turned bureaucrat (a.k.a. a „professor“) does create a fulfilled life if you boss people around. At least, that’s what I hope for you. Ideally, you assign resources, give hints, discuss and only occasionally do the deciding officially. Discussions take too much time? Well, if you discuss until someone is convinced, you do not need to invest more time fixing issues later on.

    „Managing“ people is more fun than bossing them around. Consider this: Sometimes you cannot attend your own group meeting. If it does not take place, because of your absence, than this meeting is about you. And apparently not to exchange of information in and for your group. Are you sure, it’s a good sign?

    And being encouraging might be hard. If it does not suit your personality, say it. Say that you want to be encouraging, but you are not good at it. Your underlings will appreciate this. No one is perfect.
    Challenge your people to solve their „problems“ as a team. Step in, if you have to. Only then. That might already help.
    <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    To conclude, I argue that true accountability begins with openness rather than secrecy. Withholding information creates a false sense of priorities that invites bullying. By admitting mistakes and fostering open communication, we transform potential bullies into team members, ensuring that every person \u2014 whether new, old, or current \u2014 is treated as a professional collaborator rather than an object of power. The goal is not to avoid conflict, but to navigate it with integrity. This is easier written than put into practice. Start by trying. I believe trying is already the biggest step. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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