Taming 鈥淭he Bear鈥�: 柑橘直播 Professor Examines Workplace Toxicity in FX鈥檚 Acclaimed Series
With 鈥淭he Bear鈥� recently renewed for a fifth season, Manuela Priesemuth, PhD, associate professor of Management and Operations in the 柑橘直播 School of Business, shares her perspective on the staff dynamics, heated exchanges and workplace trauma at the show鈥檚 core. (Spoilers follow.)
Manuela Priesemuth, PhD, is an expert on toxic work climates, aggression on the job and organizational fairness.
In the latest season of FX鈥檚 award-winning series 鈥淭he Bear,鈥� lead character and chef Carmen 鈥淐army鈥� Berzatto finds himself at a crossroads.
A culinary genius, Carmy has successfully overseen the reinvention of his family鈥檚 Italian beef shop as a high-end restaurant鈥攕hepherding a dedicated, if unpolished, crew of sandwich makers into a world of haute cuisine, fine wine and elevated service. However, over the course of this transition, his exacting standards have contributed to a culture of anxiety, dysfunction and resentment in the workplace.
Despite staff members鈥� professional and personal growth, tempers still flare like burners on a range, with Carmy鈥檚 obsessive attention to detail and single-minded pursuit of perfection spurring conflict. By season鈥檚 end, grappling with the fallout from a mixed review seemingly influenced by the back-of-house 鈥渃haos,鈥� the chef is forced to confront a complicated and thorny question: Am I getting in the way of my own restaurant鈥檚 success?
Carmy鈥檚 dilemma, while fictional, reflects the very real challenges many modern businesses face when excellence is prioritized at the expense of psychological safety and workplace harmony. Per Manuela Priesemuth, PhD, who researches toxic work climates, aggression on the job and organizational fairness, the warning signs are all too frequently overlooked in high-pressure environments like restaurants.
鈥淪ome high-stakes industries have a characteristic of having toxic behavior more accepted,鈥� says Dr. Priesemuth. 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 more accepted or normed, it鈥檚 a real problem.鈥�
As she explains, workers in the food service industry, much like medical professionals in an operating room or military personnel in a combat zone, have a tendency to view measured communication and thoughtful interaction as a luxury or even, in some cases, a hindrance. Essentially, there鈥檚 a common misconception that working with an edge鈥攜elling orders, avoiding dialogue and berating 鈥渦nderperformers鈥濃�攇ets the job done.
鈥淚n all of these high-stakes environments where it鈥檚 thought there鈥檚 leeway to talk negatively or disparagingly, people are mistaken in the productivity result,鈥� Dr. Priesemuth says. 鈥淚t actually changes for the better in positive climates, because people who are treated with dignity and respect are better performers than those who are mistreated.鈥�
To Dr. Priesemuth鈥檚 point, increasingly shows that workplace culture, not just talent or technical ability, is an essential driver of organizational success. In an environment like Carmy鈥檚 kitchen, where pride and passion often give way to personal attacks and shouting matches, the on-the-job dynamic can effectively undermine productivity. What may begin as an intended push for excellence can instead result in burnout, high turnover and weakened trust鈥攐utcomes that are especially problematic in collaborative, fast-paced industries like hospitality.
鈥淭here鈥檚 even evidence that abusive behavior in restaurant settings can lead to food loss,鈥� shares Dr. Priesemuth. 鈥淪o, there is a sort of retaliation from the employees who are going through this experience, whether it鈥檚 measured [in profit margins] or impact on the customer.鈥�
In order to prevent these less-than-ideal outcomes, businesses should take steps proactively, says Dr. Priesemuth. More specifically, they should clearly articulate their values and expectations, considerately engage with their staff鈥檚 opinions and concerns and consistently invest in their employees鈥� growth and development.
In the world of 鈥淭he Bear,鈥� a few of Carmy鈥檚 managerial decisions in the second season could be seen as moves in the right direction. At that juncture, he was leveraging his industry connections to provide his restaurant鈥檚 staff with the tools and training necessary to thrive in Chicago鈥檚 fine dining scene, building skills, confidence and goodwill.
鈥淚f you give people voice鈥攕uch as input on the menu, for example, or more autonomy in completing a certain task鈥攊t boosts morale,鈥� says Dr. Priesemuth. 鈥淚t helps people feel that they have input and that they are valued members of the team; it鈥檚 this sort of collaborative, positive relationship that increases commitment and performance.鈥�
Establishing this type of work culture, grounded in open communication, mutual respect and a shared sense of mission, takes concerted effort and constant maintenance. In situations in which toxicity has already become an issue, as it has in Carmy鈥檚 kitchen, the task becomes decidedly more difficult. Typically, it demands a long-term commitment to organizational change at the business鈥� highest levels.
鈥淎djusting the tone at the top really matters,鈥� says Dr. Priesemuth. 鈥淪o, if the owner were to treat their chefs and waiters with the dignity and respect that they deserve as workers, that also trickles down to, for example, the customer.鈥�
A leader鈥檚 influence on workplace morale, she contends, is nuanced and far-reaching. When those in charge model a lack of empathy or emotional distance, for instance, a sort of toxicity can take root. Likewise, when they repeatedly show anger, animosity or frustration, those same feelings and attitudes can have an ingrained effect鈥攔egardless of a staff鈥檚 talent or ability.
Given the outsized role owners, supervisors and managers play in shaping organizational culture, Dr. Priesemuth further notes, 鈥淟eaders must also feel that they鈥檙e being supported. You can鈥檛 have someone who鈥檚 exhausted, works 80 hours a week and has relationship and money issues and expect them to say, 鈥榃hat are your problems? What do you need?鈥欌��
In many ways, her insights speak directly to the struggles Carmy faces and prompts throughout 鈥淭he Bear鈥檚鈥� run. At every turn, he鈥檚 dogged by family and relationship troubles, mounting financial pressures and unresolved trauma from a past role. Ultimately, as would happen in real life, his difficulty in healthily processing and addressing these issues doesn鈥檛 just harm him; it affects his staff, manifesting itself as a need for control and a crusade for perfection.
鈥淭here are spillover effects from your own personal life into your job role. In the management field, that has become increasingly clear,鈥� says Dr. Priesemuth. 鈥淲hatever you鈥檙e going through, whether it鈥檚 from an old job or something personal, it will automatically spill over into your current work life and your interactions. And, vice versa, what鈥檚 happening to you at work will [impact you off the clock].鈥�
In dramatic fashion, the fourth season of 鈥淭he Bear鈥� concludes with Carmy acknowledging as much. Determining that there are other aspects of his life desperately in need of attention, he surrenders the reins of his business to chef de cuisine Sydney 鈥淪yd鈥� Adamu and ma卯tre d鈥檋么tel Richard 鈥淩ichie鈥� Jerimovich, appointing them part-owners. While the soundness of this decision remains a subject for the show鈥檚 next season, Carmy justifies the move with a blunt admission: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the best thing for the restaurant. We have to put the restaurant first鈥� I don鈥檛 have anything to pull from.鈥�
In the end, in both 鈥淭he Bear鈥� and management studies, there鈥檚 an understanding that building healthy and productive work environments requires active engagement and positive reinforcement on the part of leadership. In a sense, creating a strong work culture is shown to be a lot like preparing a phenomenal meal; it鈥檚 a matter of attentiveness, patience and care. Without those ingredients, the result could very well be a recipe for disaster.