CONFLICT MANAGEMENT The Psychology of conflict and conflict ...

7. WORKPLACE AGGRESSION AND CONFLICT 213
taBle 7.1
Definitions of “Dark side of the Workplace” Constructs
Construct label Definition
Workplace aggression Any form of behavior directed by one or more persons in a workplace toward the goal of harming one or more others in that workplace (or
the entire organization) in ways the intended targets are motivated to avoid. (neuman & Baron, 2005, p. 18; see also Greenberg &
Barling, 1999; neuman & Baron, 1996, 1998)
Counterproductive Work Volitional acts that harm or intend to harm organizations and their stakeholders (e.g., clients, coworkers, customers, and supervisors).
Behavior
(spector & fox, 2005, pp. 151–152; see also fox, spector, & Miles, 2001; sackett, 2002; spector & fox, 2002)
employee Deviance Voluntary behavior [of organizational members] that violates significant organizational norms and in doing so threatens the well-being of an
organization, its members, or both (robinson & Bennett, 1995, p. 556; see also Bennett & robinson, 2000; robinson & Bennett, 1997)
revenge An action in response to some perceived harm or wrongdoing by another party that is intended to inflict damage, injury, discomfort, or
punishment on the party judged responsible (aquino, tripp, & Bies, 2001, p. 53; see also Bies & tripp, 2005; Bies, tripp, & Kramer,
1997; Bradfield & aquino, 1999)
organizational retaliatory A subset of . . . negative [workplace] behaviors . . . used to punish the organization and its representatives in response to perceived
Behavior
unfairness (skarlicki & folger, 1997, p. 435; see also folger & skarlicki, 2005; skarlicki, folger & tesluk, 1999)
Workplace violence Workplace violence refers only to instances [of aggression] involving direct physical assaults (neuman & Baron, 1998, p. 393; see also
Baron & neuman, 1996; leBlanc & Barling, 2005; leBlanc & Kelloway, 2002).
Workplace Bullying A person is bullied . . . when he or she feels repeatedly subjected to negative acts in the workplace, acts that the victim may find it difficult
to defend themselves against (einarsen, raknes, & Matthiesen, 1994, p. 383; see also hoel, rayner, & Cooper, 1999; leymann, 1996;
rayner & Keashly, 2005)
emotional abuse Repeated hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors (excluding physical contact) directed at one or more individuals over a period of time
such that the target’s sense of self as a competent worker and person is negatively affected (Keashly & harvey, 2005, p. 205; see also
Keashly, 1998; Keashly & Jagatic, 2003; Keashly, trott, & Maclean, 1994)
Workplace incivility Low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil
behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others (andersson & Pearson, 1999, p. 457; see
also Cortina, Magley, Williams, & langhout, 2001; Pearson, andersson, & Porath, 2005)
abusive supervision Subordinates’ perceptions of the extent to which supervisors engage in the sustained display of hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors,
excluding physical contact (tepper, 2000, p. 178; see also tepper, Duffy, & shaw, 2001; zellars, tepper, & Duffy, 2002)
Conflict The process that begins when one party perceives that the other has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that he
or she cares about (thomas, 1992, p. 653)
Three features shared by definitions of conflict: (a) Interdependence among parties, (b) perception by at least one of the parties that there
is some degree of opposition or incompatibility among the goals of the parties, and (c) some form of interaction between the parties
(Putnam & Poole, 1987)