Getting Even: The Truth About Workplace Revenge--And How to Stop It

Tripp and Bies educate employees and managers about the right and wrong ways to deal with workplace conflict, specifically revenge. The authors have amassed dozens of lively stories, insights and counter-intuitive truths to bring to the book. Not only will managers and employees find this information useful and entertaining, but most readers will find applications in their home lives as well as in their work lives.

The core argument is that revenge is about justice. Avenging employees are not unprofessional, out-of-control employees; rather, they are victims of offenses who feel compelled to seek justice on their own. The authors address specific questions, such as:

• What kinds of offenses result in revenge?
• Why do some victims respond more aggressively to harm than others?
• What role does the organization play in how victims respond to offenses?
• What's the best advice for managers who wish to prevent their employees from seeking revenge?
• Most employees experience the desire for revenge, and are ready to settle their own scores at work when management won't enforce justice.

This book offers a model that sequences avengers' thoughts and behaviors, from the beginning of the conflict to its end. The model is grounded in scientific research and organizes disparate findings into a whole.