The Right Way to Get Angry at
Work
Anger has a place at work, as long as it meets
three conditions.
Workplace anger often gets a bad rap. It
conjures up images of hotheaded bosses who intimidate their employees, or
creative types with big egos who can’t stand being critiqued. From multiple
news outlets, we witness disgruntled coworkers “going postal” and resorting to
violence after becoming enraged at something or somebody. Or perhaps we think
of the everyday hassles that stir up resentment at work, from coworkers not
meeting our expectations to passive-aggressive emails.
But not all anger is
created equal. Some types of anger—particularly “moral anger,” a concept we delineate in a recent paper published in the Journal of Organizational
Behavior—may be crucial to the health of our institutions.
Moral anger is triggered not because of
something done (or not done) to us, but because of wrongdoings and ethical
violations perpetrated against others. We get angry witnessing unfair or
degrading acts against a colleague, biased and insensitive management
practices, or even seriously flawed company policies and harmful products.
Moral anger is an intense emotional state stemming from the violation of a
recognizable moral standard that impacts others more than oneself. Importantly,
it also prompts us to act to improve the situation, even in the face of
significant personal risk.
When the term “moral” is applied to anger, it
necessarily implies positive intentions: We seek to uphold moral standards,
ensure fair treatment, or protect those who are vulnerable. As such, moral
anger differs from other forms of anger in three major ways:
1.
Universal standards are
violated.
Moral anger is triggered by the violation of
universal standards of justice, ethics, or human dignity, rather than
individualized, idiosyncratic preferences, values, or ideology. For example, in
contrast to getting angry about a perceived personal insult by a coworker or
boss, moral anger is more likely to emerge when an employee witnesses a
coworker unfairly accused or punished when he was not responsible. Worse still
would be a situation of managers bullying or intimidating their employee,
demonstrating blatant abuse of their position of power. Universal standards are
core to the moral fabric of society; society in general and healthy individuals
in particular tend to be equally outraged at their violation.
2.
We feel concern for others.
Moral anger reflects an altruistic orientation, where one’s focus is on the needs and
rights of others, more than our own. Rather than be upset because of our
personal disadvantage or inconvenience, our angst stems from desiring to help
others, especially those who are particularly vulnerable. I may be upset
because you yelled at me, but getting angry—although justified—benefits
primarily my own ego and pride. Becoming angry while witnessing another’s
berating, however, would more likely demonstrate moral anger. Selfishness or
self-centeredness is antithetical to moral anger.
3.
We take corrective
action.
Moral anger prompts us to do something to
help improve the situation. While we recognize that anger is an emotion, not an
action. If anger doesn’t prompt some action meant to correct the situation,
then it lacks the “moral” moniker. Feeling indignant about someone’s
mistreatment but doing nothing to help, because “it’s none of my business” or
“someone else can/should/will handle this situation,” is not moral anger. To
refer back to the previous examples, to qualify as moral anger, the colleague
witnessing the unfair reprimand must also support or defend the embattled
coworker. Only then can we speak of the corrective power of moral anger.
Whistleblowing often involves moral anger—for
example, in the celebrated case portrayed in the 1999 film The Insider.
In 1996, Jeff Wigand (then Vice President of Research and Development at Brown
and Williamson Tobacco and responsible for developing reduced-harm cigarettes)
blew the whistle that his company intentionally increased the amount of
nicotine in their cigarettes, thereby enhancing their addictive nature. After
initially voicing his objections inside the company, he reported being harassed
and receiving anonymous death threats
More
on Anger
In a 1996 interview with Mike Wallace
of 60 Minutes, Wigand stated that he “got angry” about the
company’s decision to abandon the safer cigarette and ultimately found the
courage to speak up. However, his whistleblowing brought significant danger to
him and his family at the same time that it exposed unethical practices by U.S.
tobacco companies. In the end, Wigand’s actions potentially benefitted millions
of people, who would have been exposed to this especially harmful but legal
product.
Perhaps more mundane and less
dramatic—although no less valuable—are personal experiences when our own anger
prompts us to speak up on behalf of colleagues experiencing injustice,
intimidation, bullying, discrimination, cruelty, or disrespect. Moral anger is
a type of “energy” we can use to overcome what for many of us is an inclination
to stay silent or uninvolved in conflict. As political philosopher Edmund Burke
reminds us, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men
(or women) to do nothing.”
The benefits of encouraging employees to
speak up when they witness threatening behaviors, unfair accusations, or
coercive tactics are plentiful. Minimally, challenging these moral violations
in the workplace exposes the acts and perpetrators. Allowing space for the
expression of moral anger at work can promote environments of support,
compassion, courage, integrity, and fairness. Managers who allow or even
encourage employees to express moral anger can learn not only what is happening but
also—and perhaps more importantly—what needs to change in
their realms of influence. Displays of anger at work signal something is wrong
that needs management’s immediate attention and careful response.
Are we saying we want more angry workplaces?
Yes and no. Self-serving expressions of anger should always be kept to a
minimum. However, if we witness something that is so wrong that it makes us
angry, say something…do something. Organizations and their individual members
benefit when morally-wrong behaviors are addressed and eliminated.
Are you potentially sticking your neck out by
expressing moral anger? Yes. Is the risk worth taking, given the chance to
benefit someone else? Yes! Moral anger shows we care about others, not just
ourselves. At the same time, it can help correct many of the woes we experience
at work and in society. As one of us argues in a new essay, a world without anger would be a world without
“critical corrections,” and that’s a world we don’t want to live in—no matter
how peaceful and harmonious it appears.
By Deanna
Geddes, Dirk
Lindebaum |http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_right_way_to_get_angry_at_work
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