FORT WORTH, TX—August 26, 2009—In organizational settings, managers as well as others in leadership roles should perhaps think twice before ridiculing subordinate employees on their choice of lunch, attire, or habits, or generally acting disrespectfully towards them. Recent research from the Journal of Management Studies shows that when an employee believes that he or she has been treated unfairly, the employee is not likely to forgive and forget.
The research, headed by Michael S. Cole, PhD at the Texas Christian University, tracks the downward spiral process which is triggered when an employee experiences perceived injustices at the work. Such events create a major stressor which may potentially lead to damaged psychological well being and extreme emotional exhaustion, which directly affect a worker's ability to cope with workload demands and performance-related expectations.
These individuals are also likely to feel singled out within their work environment and may start to feel unhappy about their jobs as a whole, leading to a change in job-related attitudes and behavior. This in turn leads to a general depletion in their sense of commitment to the organization, and in the worst-case scenario, an increased risk of voluntary termination and high turnover within organizations.
This study is published in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Management Studies. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact scholarlynews@wiley.com.
Michael S. Cole, PhD is Assistant Professor of Management at the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University. He can be reached for questions at m.s.cole@tcu.edu.
About the Journal: Consistently highly ranked in the Management section ISI Journal Citation Reports, the Journal of Management Studies (JMS) is a globally respected journal with a long established history of innovation and excellence in management research. International in scope and readership, the JMS is a multidisciplinary journal, publishing articles on organization theory and behaviour, strategic and human resource management—from empirical studies and theoretical developments to practical applications. For more information, please visit here.
About Wiley-Blackwell: Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes over 1,400 peer-reviewed journals as well as 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or www.interscience.wiley.com.
Journal
Journal of Management Studies