Zhe Zhang* e Shuili Du**
From “Neutron Jack”, or famous surname of Jack Welcha “Kate the Great”, a alcunha da ex-CEO do Washington Post, Katherine Grahamnicknames are common in the modern workplace. According to our recent research, nearly nine in ten U.S. adults have either been called a nickname at work or seen someone else called one. But how does using nicknames impact employees’ experience at work?
When we talk about surnames, we are not referring to shorter names, like “Matt” for Matthew or “Liz” for Elizabeth. The word “nickname” (surname) evolves from the Old English “eke name”, meaning an additional name, usually involving the assignment of a new identity, such as “The Oracle of Omaha” for Warren Buffett or “Space Cowboy” for Elon Musk.
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Studies show that the use of friendly nicknames it can be an excellent way to solidify personal relationships, such as those between friends or romantic partners. However, many professional relationships are explicitly hierarchicalwith one party having more power than the other — and researchers have not yet determined how this power asymmetry may influence people’s attitudes toward using nicknames in the workplace.
To fill this gap, we conducted a series of experiments with more than 1,100 US-based adultsexploring the effects of using nicknames at work. We asked participants to imagine they were starting a new job and then divided them into four groups:
Some were told that at their company, employees called their boss by the nickname “Panda” because he always wore a black and white suit.
Others were told that their boss called an employee by the nickname “Panda” for the same reason.
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Some were told that employees called their boss by his formal name.
Others were told that their boss called an employee by their formal name.
To ensure that gender did not influence our results, we also informed some participants that their supervisor was female and others that they were male.
After describing these scenarios, we asked participants a series of questions designed to assess how psychologically safe, powerful and respected they would feel in this work environment. We found that using nicknames at work can sometimes have positive effects — but not always.
Well-intentioned nicknames
Our results specifically indicated that participants informed that their boss called an employee by a nickname would feel less psychologically safe, less powerful, and less respected at work than those who were told that their boss called an employee by their formal name. On the other hand, participants who were informed that the employees called their boss by the same nickname reported that they would feel more psychologically safe, more powerful, and more respected than those who were told that employees called their boss by his formal name.
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Digging deeper into the data, we found that these effects were driven by differences in participants’ perceptions of how community-oriented the chief seemed. When participants were told that employees called their supervisor by a nickname, they reported feeling that the supervisor seemed more focused on the needs and interests of the group. In contrast, when participants learned that their boss called an employee by a nickname, they viewed the boss as less communal, making them believe the work environment would be less psychologically safe.
We also discovered that the hierarchical culture of an organization plays a critical role in the effects of using nicknames. In a follow-up study, we told half of the participants that adherence to hierarchy was critical in their company and the other half that there was little hierarchy in the company. Then, participants were again divided into four groups:
- Some were told that at this company, employees called their boss by the nickname “Latte” because he drank a lot of lattes.
- Others were told that their boss called an employee by the nickname “Latte” for the same reason.
- Some were told that employees called their boss by his formal name.
- Others were told that their boss called an employee by their formal name.
We then asked the same questions about how psychologically safe, powerful and respected they would feel in this work environment and found that the The impact of using nicknames was much stronger when participants were told that the work environment was more hierarchical. In contrast, when the work environment was described as relatively flat and egalitarian, the impact of using nicknames became much less substantial—or even disappeared altogether.
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So what does this mean for managers? Our research suggests several practical takeaways for leaders and organizations:
It’s ok to use nicknames for your boss
Our findings suggest that managers and leaders should not discourage employees from calling them by their nicknames. While managers may be tempted to prohibit the use of nicknames for fear of appearing unprofessional, our research shows that doing so can actually make them appear impersonal and inaccessible. In fact, our studies demonstrate that encouraging employees to use nicknames is a great way for managers to send the message that they see themselves as part of the teamcreating a more egalitarian and inclusive work environment.
For example, consider how nicknames like “Mr. 20%” for Clive Thompsonformer CEO and chairman of Rentokil Initial, “Pony Ma” for Huateng Mafounder and CEO of Tencent, and “Mutti” for Angela Merkelformer Chancellor of Germany, make you feel towards these leaders. When someone in a position of power invites others to call them by a nickname, it makes them more approachable and in tune with those around them. But remember, the nicknames should come naturally and cannot be forced; Compelling people to use a nickname will likely backfire.
Avoid nicknames for employees
In contrast, managers and leaders must have caution when calling his subordinates by nicknames. You might think it’s all a joke, but our data shows that even using a friendly, well-intentioned nickname can be harmful.
Since professional relationships often involve power disparitiesgiving an employee a nickname can make a manager appear to be abusing their power, making them appear less community-oriented and thus harming the well-being of the team. Worse still, because employees often rely on their supervisor for performance reviews and promotions, they may be especially reluctant to express their discomfort with a nickname, making it difficult to resolve the issue. Therefore, companies must develop clear policies and train managers on the appropriate use of nicknames.
Consider organizational culture
We also found that the detrimental impact of calling a subordinate by a nickname was most evident in organizations with highly hierarchical cultures. Therefore, it is important to consider the nuances of your organization’s unique culture and norms before deciding on your approach. THE Alibabafor example, explicitly encourages its employees to use nicknames as part of its long-standing effort to maintain a flatter management structure, consistent with the idea that nicknames may be better received in less hierarchical cultures.
So, when determining whether to use nicknames, managers and leaders should consider how hierarchical their organization is — and if your culture is especially hierarchical, it’s best to avoid using nicknames for employees. That said, although using nicknames in less hierarchical environments appears to be safer, we still recommend that managers in flatter organizations closely monitor the effects of using nicknames on key indicators of employee well-being and adjust their policies as necessary. .
Don’t use mean nicknames
It must be said that mean or derogatory nicknames are never acceptable. Our research shows that using friendly nicknames can, in some cases, be beneficial — but using nicknames to mock people is never a good idea. In fact, research shows that microaggressions (like calling someone by a derogatory nickname) can have an immediate and detrimental effect on both the person’s well-being and the effectiveness of the entire team. In extreme cases, using inappropriate nicknames at work can even lead to legal action.
When in doubt, ask
Finally, if you’re not sure whether it’s acceptable to use someone’s nickname, ask! Find a private moment to check in with the person and make sure they are comfortable with the nickname. If she’s not into it, stop using it!
*Zhe Zhang, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Marketing at Ivey Business School, Western University. His research interests include branding and marketing communications, with a focus on brand nicknames, nickname branding, and the use of nicknames in organizational communications.
**Shuili Du is a professor of Marketing at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire. His research focuses on how companies can leverage sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives to build stronger relationships with stakeholders and create social and business value.
c.2024 Harvard Business Review. Distribuído pela New York Times Licensing.
