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Aggression with a Conscience: A Rational and Moral Framework for Proactive Workplace Aggression

Mistreatment in Organizations

ISBN: 978-1-78560-117-0, eISBN: 978-1-78560-116-3

Publication date: 2 June 2015

Abstract

A number of theoretical frameworks exist to explain perpetrators’ motivation for workplace aggression. Most of them consider these behaviors as retaliatory actions from individuals who experience triggering events in their workplaces. The current chapter describes a model that focuses on the motivations underlying proactive workplace aggression, and identifies situations where perpetrators consider their aggressive behaviors as morally justifiable. In particular, we argue that depending on the targets’ in- versus out-group membership and higher- versus lower-status in the hierarchy, aggressive behaviors may be viewed as acceptable to achieve perpetrators’ goals of forcing compliance or managing identity. The model extends the current literature by considering non-retaliatory workplace aggression, and by identifying potential avenues for future research and intervention to reduce proactive workplace aggression.

Keywords

Citation

Dixon, A.J., Chang, C.-H.(. and Johnson, R.E. (2015), "Aggression with a Conscience: A Rational and Moral Framework for Proactive Workplace Aggression", Mistreatment in Organizations (Research in Occupational Stress and Well Being, Vol. 13), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 81-106. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-355520150000013003

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015 Emerald Group Publishing Limited