Toxic Boss in Tech? The Research on What Actually Works - Karen Perham-Lippman

Many of us feel powerless when work environments become dysfunctional.  In this episode, Sharna speaks with Dr. Karen Perham-Lippman about her research on toxic leadership in the technology industry and the ways employees respond to it. Karen explains why some people remain silent, why others adapt to survive, and why some individuals choose to challenge the status quo despite personal and professional risks. 

Karen serves as Senior Manager of Global Inclusion and Belonging at Otis Worldwide Corporation. She is a Certified Diversity Professional and has worked with nonprofits, state government, municipal clients, and businesses across diverse industries and sectors globally. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Organizational Leadership and Business Management from Eastern University.

You'll learn:

• Why workplace cultures can unintentionally enable destructive leadership
• How “Challengers” create positive change in difficult environments
• The role of peer support and communities of coping in maintaining individual well-being
• How organizations can reduce the conditions that allow toxic leadership to persist

About Karen

Dr. Karen Perham-Lippman serves as Senior Manager of Global Inclusion and Belonging at Otis Worldwide Corporation. As a pracademic and mission-driven business strategist with nearly fifteen years of demonstrated strategic and process thinking results in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), ESG, and social impact, she has worked with nonprofits, state government, municipal clients, and businesses across diverse industries and sectors globally. She currently serves as Co-President of the League of Women Voters South Hampton Roads in Virginia and was appointed to the State League’s DEI Committee. 

Karen is a Certified Diversity Professional and holds a certificate in designing equitable courses from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Organizational Leadership and Business Management from Eastern University, where she received the College of Business and Leadership's 2025 Student Service Award presented to a graduating student who has exemplified the college and doctoral program's ideals of leadership and scholarship on and off campus through significant contributions to the field. Karen’s scholarship is published with Ethics International Press, Emerald Publishing, Forbes, Merits International Journal, and SAGE Publishing. Her forthcoming book, Bridging Generations: Transformative Intergenerational Leadership and Followership, will be available from Emerald Publishing in Spring 2026.

Episode References

ILA Global Conference in Prague

Connect with Karen

LinkedIn - for general connections

ResearchGate – for research updates or to collaborate 

Forbes Human Resources Council – for writing contributions on Forbes