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Self-Forgiveness at Work: Finding Pathways to Renewal When Coping with Failure or Perceived Transgressions

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Handbook of the Psychology of Self-Forgiveness

Abstract

At work we can fail, and we can fail to act. Sometimes we harm others by our actions or inactions. How we come to terms with our wrongdoings and failures at work can have an impact on our psychological, relational, and organizational well-being. Ineffectively coping with these experiences can lead to reduced productivity, relational strain, increased perceptions of stress and, ultimately, burnout. Working through these experiences of failure and wrongdoing can be difficult. In this chapter we integrate the current research on self-forgiveness and well-being at work. We explore how the need for self-forgiveness can arise in the workplace. Finally, we outline a process whereby people can work through both transgressions and perceived failures, and we describe contextual factors that may encourage or inhibit self-forgiveness at work.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Lydia Woodyatt

  2. Auburn University, Auburn, AL, Australia

    Marilyn A. Cornish

  3. Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

    Mikaela Cibich

Authors
  1. Lydia Woodyatt
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  2. Marilyn A. Cornish
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  3. Mikaela Cibich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lydia Woodyatt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Lydia Woodyatt

  2. Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Everett L. Worthington, Jr.

  3. School of Psychology, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Michael Wenzel

  4. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA

    Brandon J. Griffin

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Woodyatt, L., Cornish, M.A., Cibich, M. (2017). Self-Forgiveness at Work: Finding Pathways to Renewal When Coping with Failure or Perceived Transgressions. In: Woodyatt, L., Worthington, Jr., E., Wenzel, M., Griffin, B. (eds) Handbook of the Psychology of Self-Forgiveness. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60573-9_21

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