Introduction: Should distinctions be made among different forms of mistreatment at work?

摘要

It has become well known that employees can be exposed to many types of aggressive and nasty acts in the workplace, ranging from mild rudeness to physical violence. A number of related and conceptually distinct constructs have been developed that reflect different forms of such exposure, most notably abuse, bullying, conflict, incivility, mobbing, and undermining. Each has its own literatures that describe results of studies concerning potential antecedents and consequences. Few attempts have been made to integrate these literatures or consolidate results. This installment of Journal of Organizational Behavior's point/counterpoint is an attempt to do just that.