Skip to main content
Log in

Reacting aggressively to injustice at work: a cognitive stage model

  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present article develops a cognitive stage model of workplace aggression, which contends that aggressive reactions to perceived injustice are cognitively construed following three cognitive steps that include the assessment stage, the accountability stage, and the decision stage. These three cognitive stages are essential in understanding victims’ retaliatory actions against perpetrators of injustices. The model’s implications for research and practice are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • S. J. Adams (1965) Inequity in social exchange L. Berkowitz (Eds) Advances in social experimental psychology NumberInSeries2 Academic Press New York 267–299

    Google Scholar 

  • M. L. Ambrose M. A. Seabright M. Schminke (2002) ArticleTitleSabotage in the workplace: The role of organizational injustice Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 89 947–965 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0749-5978(02)00037-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K. Aquino T. M. Tripp R. J. Bies (2001) ArticleTitleHow employees respond to personal offense: The effects of blame attribution, victim status, and offender status on revenge and reconciliation in the workplace Journal of Applied Psychology 86 52–59 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0021-9010.86.1.52 Occurrence Handle11302233

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R. A. Baron J. H. Neuman (1996) ArticleTitleWorkplace violence and workplace aggression: Evidence on their relative frequency and causes Aggressive Behavior 22 161–173 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1996)22:3<161::AID-AB1>3.0.CO;2-Q

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. A. Baron J. H. Neuman D. Geddes (1999) ArticleTitleSocial and personal determinants of workplace aggression: Evidence for the impact of perceived injustice and the Type A behavior pattern Aggressive Behavior 25 281–296 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1999)25:4<281::AID-AB4>3.0.CO;2-J

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. J. Bies (1987) The predicament of injustice: The management of moral outrage L. L. Cummings B. M. Staw (Eds) Research in organizational behavior JAI Press Greenwich, CT 289–319

    Google Scholar 

  • R. J. Bies J. S. Moag (1986) Interactional justice: Communication criteria of fairness R. J. Lewicki B. H. Sheppard M. H. Bazerman (Eds) Research on negotiation in organizations NumberInSeries1 JAI Press Greenwich, CT 43–55

    Google Scholar 

  • R. J. Bies T. M. Tripp (1998) Revenge in organizations: The good, the bad, and the ugly R. W. Griffin A. O’Leary-Kelly J. Collins (Eds) Dysfunctional behavior in organizations, Vol. 1 Violent behaviors in organizations JAI Press Stamford, CT 49–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Bies, R. J., & Tripp, T. M. (2001). A passion for justice: The rationality and morality of revenge. In R. Cropanzano (Ed.), Justice in the workplace: From theory to practice, Vol. 2 (pp. 197–226)

  • R. J. Bies T. M. Tripp R. M. Kramer (1997) At the breaking point: Cognitive and social dynamics of revenge in organizations R. Giacalone J. Greenberg (Eds) Antisocial behavior in the workplace Sage Thousand Oaks, CA 18–36

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Bradfield K. Aquino (1999) ArticleTitleThe effects of blame attributions and offender likableness on forgiveness and revenge in the workplace Journal of Management 25 607–631 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0149-2063(99)00018-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E. M. Boer ParticleDe A. B. Bakker J. E. Syroit W. B. Schaufeli (2002) ArticleTitleUnfairness at work as a predictor of absenteeism Journal of Organizational Behavior 28 181–197 Occurrence Handle10.1002/job.135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Folger (1984) ArticleTitlePerceived injustice, referent cognitions, and the concept of comparison level Representative Research in Social Psychology 14 88–108

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Folger R. A. Baron (1996) Violence and hostility at work: A model of reactions to perceived injustice G. R. VandenBos E. Q. Bulato (Eds) Workplace violence APA Washington, DC 51–85

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Folger R. Cropanzano (1998) Organizational justice and human resource management Sage Publications Thousands Oak, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Folger R. Cropanzano (2001) Fairness theory: Justice as accountability J. R. Greenberg R. Cropanzano (Eds) Advances in organizational justice Stanford University Press Stanford, CA 1–55

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Folger D. P. Skarlicki (1998) A popcorn metaphor for employee aggression R. W. Griffin A. O’Leary-Kelly J. Collins (Eds) Dysfunctional behavior in organizations, Vol., 1: Violent behaviors in organizations JAI Press Stamford, CT 43–81

    Google Scholar 

  • S. W. Gilliland L. Benson SuffixIII. D. H. Schepers (1998) ArticleTitleA rejection threshold in justice evaluations: Effects on judgment and decision-making Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 76 113–131 Occurrence Handle10.1006/obhd.1998.2801 Occurrence Handle9831518

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • J. Greenberg (1993) ArticleTitleStealing in the name of justice: Informational and interpersonal moderators of employee reactions to underpayment inequity Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 54 81–103 Occurrence Handle10.1006/obhd.1993.1004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. Greenberg B. J. Alge (1998) Aggressive reactions to workplace injustice R. W. Griffin A. O’Leary-Kelly J. Collins (Eds) Dysfunctional behavior in organizations, Vol. 1: Violent behaviors in organizations JAI Press Greenwich, CT

    Google Scholar 

  • I. M. Jawahar (2002) ArticleTitleA model of organizational justice and workplace aggression Journal of Management 26 811–834 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0149-2063(02)00189-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E. A. Lind (2001) Fairness heuristic theory: Justice judgments as pivotal cognitions in organizational relations J. Greenberg R. Cropanzano (Eds) Advances in organizational justice Stanford University Press Stanford, CA 56–88

    Google Scholar 

  • E. A. Lind T. R. Tyler (1988) The social psychology of procedural justice Plenum Press New York

    Google Scholar 

  • M. J. Martinko K. L. Zellars (1998) Toward a theory of workplace violence and aggression: A cognitive appraisal perspective R. W. Griffin A. O’Leary-Kelly J. M. Collins (Eds) Dysfunctional behavior in organizations, Vol. 1: Violent behaviors in organizations JAI Press Stamford, CT 1–42

    Google Scholar 

  • J. H. Neuman R. A. Baron (1997) Aggression in the workplace R. Giacalone J. Greenberg (Eds) Antisocial behavior in the workplace Sage Thousand Oaks, CA 37–67

    Google Scholar 

  • J. H. Neuman R. A. Baron (1998) ArticleTitleWorkplace violence and workplace aggression: Evidence concerning specific forms, potential causes, and preferred targets Journal of Management 24 391–419 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0149-2063(99)80066-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • N. J. Roese (1997) ArticleTitleCounterfactual thinking Psychological Bulletin 121 133–148 Occurrence Handle10.1037/0033-2909.121.1.133 Occurrence Handle9000895

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • B. H. Sheppard R. J. Lewicki J. W. Minton (1992) Organizational justice: The search of fairness in the workplace Lexington Books New York

    Google Scholar 

  • J. W. Thibaut L. Walker (1975) Procedural Justice: A psychological analysis Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Hillsdale, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • T. M. Tripp R. J. Bies (1997) ArticleTitleWhat’s good about revenge? The avenger’s perspective Research on Negotiation in Organizations 6 145–160

    Google Scholar 

  • T. R. Tyler E. A. Lind (1992) A relational model of authority in groups M. Zanna (Eds) Advances in experimental social psychology NumberInSeries25 Lexington Books New York 115–191

    Google Scholar 

  • N. W. Yperen ParticleVan M. Hagedoorn M. Zweers S. Postma (2000) ArticleTitleInjustice and employees’ destructive responses: The mediating role of state negative affect Social Justice Research 13 291–312 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1026411523466

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beugré, C.D. Reacting aggressively to injustice at work: a cognitive stage model. J Bus Psychol 20, 291–301 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-005-8265-1

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-005-8265-1

Keywords

Navigation