JU Prof. Donald Horner discusses “360-degree” HR technique to combat bullying in Navy Times

JU management professor Donald Horner has again been featured in Navy Times discussing bullying in the armed forces.

Horner, now on sabbatical and working as the City of Jacksonville’s Education Commissioner, discusses the U.S. Navy’s “toxic leaders” controversy and the specific case of Capt. Holly Graf, who was fired in 2010 after allegations of demeaning and humiliating the crew of the cruiser Cowpens.

A strong proponent of the “360-degree evaluation” technique, Horner, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former Naval Academy professor, said the personnel method is an excellent developmental and leader performance tool.

In Graf’s case, she was relieved of duty as commanding officer after her actions were deemed in violation of rules barring “cruelty and maltreatment,” according to the article.

“These tyrants … they are master ingratiators,” Horner said in the article. “They are masters at kissing up. They kiss up, and they kick down,” he said. “You get these Holly Grafs of the world and every senior they work with is like ‘Wow, she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.’ ”

To read the entire article online, click here.