Getting even

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” Like hell, I hear you say. How we long for revenge. Everyone knows a disgruntled person secretly wants to commit a destructive, maybe even violent, act to seek revenge. It’s just common wisdom. Or is it?

In Getting Even: The Truth About Workplace Revenge–And How to Stop It, Thomas Tripp and Robert Bies reveal that workplace revenge is not about violence . . . it’s about justice. Avenging employees are typically not unprofessional, out-of-control employees. They are ordinary people who are victims of offences, feel they don’t have support, and are compelled to seek justice on their own.

Revenge happens when formal systems break down, and when an organisation’s mechanisms for preventing or correcting injustices don’t work. If the formal system doesn’t work, the informal system of revenge will step in to handle the problem.

Getting Even offers an effective blueprint for predicting, managing, and preventing the ill effects of workplace revenge. The book also shows how to promote fair behaviour and curb the damage that workplace revenge often causes. Filled with lively stories and insights, Getting Even gives managers and employees practical suggestions that can be applied both at work and at home.

Throughout the book, Tripp and Bies address these basic questions:

• What kinds of offences result in revenge?
• Why do some victims respond more aggressively to harm than others?
• What role does the organisation play in how victims respond?
• How can managers prevent their employees from seeking revenge?

Grounded in fifteen years of research, this book offers a realistic first-step approach for creating a workplace environment that puts the emphasis on fairness and will ultimately lead to a more productive organisation and a healthier bottom line.

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