Workplace revenge is a perennial problem for businesses. Northwestern National Life Insurance estimated that the annual cost of workplace aggression was $300 billion. High profile cases of workplace revenge have also drawn much media attention. An article on workplace spite and retribution in Businessweek mentioned incidents at HP, Oracle, and Dell, among others. 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.

Thomas M. Tripp is a professor of management at Washington State University. His research has focused on workplace conflict, and especially on workplace revenge and forgiveness.

Robert J. Bies is a professor of management and founder of the Executive Master's in Leadership program at the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. Bies's current research focuses on leadership and the delivery of bad news, and revenge and forgiveness in the workplace.

Preface.1. An Introduction to Revenge in the Workplace.2. Peering into the Soul of Discontent: The Phenomenon of Revenge.3. Three Triggers of Revenge: Why People Try to Get Even.4. You Started It! The Mind Game Inside the Blame Game.5. "I'm as Mad as Hell and I'm not Going to Take It Anymore!": Understanding the Motivating Power of Righteous Anger.6. You Started It-But I'll Finish It! How People Get Even.7. Preventing Revenge Before It Happens: Practical Advice for Managers-and Would-Be Avengers.8. Moving Beyond Revenge: Don't Get Mad, Don't Get Even-Get Ahead.Bibliography.Notes.About the Authors.Index.