Understanding indirect/covert aggression within the workplace context

275 Pages·2016·3.06 MB·English

Understanding indirect/covert aggression within
the workplace context: The target’s cognitive
process

Stacey Kent
BGS, MA, Grad Cert, (BC)HRMA, CAHRI

Department of Employment Relations and Human
Resources
Griffith Business School
Griffith University

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy

July 2015
Abstract

Indirect/covert aggression is a set of behaviours employed by an individual (the
aggressor) intended to create and inflict damage on another individual (the target) undetected
(Einarsen, 1999). Indirect/covert aggression is employed within the workplace because
displaying overtly aggressive behaviours toward peers, subordinates, and supervisors is
generally considered socially unacceptable. Indirect/covert aggressive behaviours typically
entail various circuitous behaviours, such as: vexatious rumour mongering, social isolation,
and undermining professional competencies (Baron & Neuman, 1996; Neuman & Baron,
1998). Whilst previous research demonstrates that indirect/covert aggression is costly to
organisations and individuals who experience it (e.g., absenteeism, employee turnover, and
low performance), several issues require exploration to better understand the phenomenon,
and before such workplace behaviours can be reduced. The most salient issues are
identifying why individuals become the focus of indirect/covert aggression and determining
the cognitive scripts (i.e., mental structures of knowledge) and behavioural scripts (i.e.,
behavioural performances that are applied to a specific situation, see Gioia & Poole, 1984)
that they use to respond to these behaviours.
The three research questions that guide my programme of research are: 1) What are
individuals’ experiences of indirect/covert aggression at work? 2) To what extent do the
experiences of indirect/covert aggression impact an individual’s sensemaking process? and
3) How do differences in relational scripts explain the various responses and consequences
of individuals targeted by indirect/covert aggression within their workplace?
With these questions at the forefront, I attempt to more fully understand the
indirect/covert aggression experiences of targets and the cognitive processes that they use to
make sense of and deal with these events by examining the role of targets’ indirect/covert
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aggression perceptions, the emotions they experience when targeted, how they construct
scripts to make sense of the aggression, and the types of scripts used.
There is a dearth of information regarding the types of scripts that a target uses to
respond to the indirect/covert aggression that they experience. My program of research uses
Weiss and Cropanzano’s (1996) Affective Events theory (hereafter AET) as a macro-
theoretical framework in conjunction with Fredrickson and Kahneman’s (1993) Peak-End
(hereafter PET) theory as a micro-theoretical framework as way to explore indirect or covert
aggression. Schank and Abelson’s (1977) Cognitive Script Theory will also be used to
understand the types of scripts (a framework of knowledge that is used to explain how day to
day events unfold) targets use when experiencing indirect/covert aggression (an affective
event).
To address my research questions, I carried out a mixed methods research programme
consisting of three empirical studies (Studies 1a, 1b and 2) with the all-encompassing goal of
uncovering the types of scripts targets of indirect/covert aggression use in relation to
experiences of indirect/covert aggression. In Study 1a and 1 b (Chapter 4 and 5 respectively),
using a qualitative methodology, I explored the targets’ experiences of indirect/covert
aggression, their responses to those experiences, and their personal constructs (Kelly, 1955)
regarding their aggressor. Through Study 1, I sought to answer the research questions, RQ1:
What are individuals’ experiences of indirect/covert aggression at work? RQ2: And To what
extent do the experiences of indirect/covert aggression impact an individual’s sensemaking
process? Study 1a was designed to understand targets’ experiences of their petty behaved
colleagues (i.e., the aggressor) at work and how they dealt with them. Study 1b was designed
to identify the personal constructs (the process that individuals use to evaluate the world
around them) that target’s had of the aggressor. The aim of Study 1a was to provide insights
into the target’s method of processing their aggressor’s behaviour. Employing this method
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uncovered the affective events the target experienced, the most intense emotions they felt at
the event’s peak, and how the event ended. The sample for Study 1 comprised 29
respondents who were interviewed for approximately 1 hour. Two specific techniques were
used in Study 1a and 1b, Repertory Grid (hereafter RepGrid) technique (Kelly, 1955) and
critical incident technique (Flanagan, 1954). Thematic analysis (Kassarjian, 1977) was used
for both Study 1a (Chapter 4) and Study 1b (Chapter 5) and, from these studies, I developed
measures for my cross sectional survey administered in Study 2.
Building on my findings from Studies 1a and 1b, I developed a mediating model for
Study 2 (Chapter 6) to further examine targets thought process and responses when
experiencing indirect/covert aggression. More specifically, the research question guiding
Study 2 was How do differences in relational scripts explain the various responses and
consequences of individuals targeted by covert aggression within their workplace? Study 2
comprised a two-phase survey that was administered to students (n=143) from an Australian
Undergraduate Program conducted within a Business School.
More specifically, I predicted in the model that targets low in emotional intelligence,
emotional regulation, and emotional stability would be more likely to report greater use of
reactive and passive scripts. Furthermore, I predicted that these effects would be mediated by
the target’s perceptions of the indirect/covert aggressor. Contrariwise, this model predicts
that targets that are high in emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, and emotional
stability will have lower perceptions of indirect/covert aggression and will engage proactive
scripts. In this model, I examine the impact of emotional intelligence, emotional regulation
and emotional stability in determining the scripts (reactive, proactive and passive) targets use
when confronted with indirect/covert aggression. Based on the data collected, targets
perceptions of indirect/covert aggression were found to partly mediate the relationship
between emotional intelligence and the scripts they would formulate. Study 2 (Chapter 6)
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demonstrates my theoretical contribution in that the results revealed that targets of
indirect/covert aggression, who are higher in emotional intelligence, will engage in the use of
proactive scripts.
The discussion chapter (Chapter 7) considers the implications, theoretical and
practical contributions, limitations, and future research directions regarding my program of
research. The theoretical contributions within this thesis are identifying and examining the
different types targets’ scripts using a macro/micro-theoretical approach. I demonstrate how
affective Events, Peak-End theory, and script theory help to better understand targets’
experiences and thought process of indirect aggression. The practical contributions of the
findings for HR practitioners are also considered. It would be helpful for HR practitioners to
better comprehend the target’s cognitive process when they (the target) experiences and
reports indirect/covert aggression. As such, the take away message from Studies 1a, 1b, and
2 is for HR practitioners to understand that the target’s experiences of indirect/covert are
beyond escalated workplace conflict and that they are targets of intentionally harmful
behaviour. Future directions for research include the need to further explore specifically the
successful scripts that helped individuals remove themselves from being targets of
indirect/covert aggression. Another avenue is to examine what the thought processes are for
HR practitioners who initially evaluate grievances of indirect/covert aggression.
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Statement of Originality

This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university.
To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published
or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself.

(Signed)_____________________________
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PUBLICATION DURING CANDIDATURE
Book Review

Kent, S. & Muurlink, O. (2014). Getting a Grip on Why Incivility Happens Within the
Workplace: A Commentary Essay, (Review and commentary of Analyzing and
Theorizing the Dynamics of the Workplace Incivility Crisis, by Michael Leiter),
Journal of Social Justice Review, (2014), 27, p. 137-148.
Chapters in an Edited Book

Kent, S., Troth, A. T., & Jordan, P. J. (2014). Institutional theory, normative pressures,
emotions, and indirect aggression. In N. M. Ashkanasy, W. J. Zerbe, and C. E. J.
Härtel (Eds.), Research of Emotions in Organisations, Volume 10. Bingley: Emerald
Publication.
Kent, S., Jordan, P. J., & Troth, A. T. (2014). Mapping the terrain of aggression within the
workplace context. In N. M. Ashkanasy, W. J. Zerbe, and C. E. J. Härtel (Eds.),
Research of Emotions in Organizations, Volume 10. Bingley: Emerald Publication.
Conferences

Kent. S. A. M. and Houghton, L. (2014). Ineffective Software Eliciting Discrete Negative
Emotions within Users: A look at Uplifts, Hassles, and Feral Systems. Presented at
the British Academy of Management, Belfast, Ireland, September, 2014 (development
paper, roundtable discussion, leading to a journal article for submission to Academy
of Management Review).
Houghton, L. & Kent, S. A. M. (2014). Foucault's perspective on rational and displays of
emotion are formed within the context of social power, knowledge, and morality,
which link them through discourse. Presented at the International Labour Process
Conference, London, England, September, 2013 (paper presentation).
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Kent. S. A. M., Houghton, L. & Kerr, D. (2013). Affective Events Theory, Institutional
Theory, and Feral Systems: How do they all fit? Presented at the Australian New
Zealand Academy of Management, Hobart, December, 2013 (competitive stream,
paper presentation).
Kent, S. A. M. & Bouten Pinto, C. (2013). Ahhh…She’ll be all right, mate! Or will he be all
right…? Examining men targeted by female workplace social manipulation within
the Australian context from an interpretivist paradigm. Presented at the European
Group of Organisational Studies, Montreal, July, 2013 (paper presentation).
Bouten Pinto, C & Kent, S. A. M. (2012). The influence of emotions, culture, and context on
organisational scripts. Presented at the 7th Asia-Pacific Symposium on Emotions in
Worklife, Bond University (Gold Coast), November, 2012 (Poster Presentation).
Kent, S. A. M., Jordan, P. J., & Troth, A. T. (2012). Examining the relationship between
institutional theory and the scripts of targets of social manipulation within the
workplace. Presented at the European Group of Organisational Studies, Helsinki, July,
2012 (paper presentation, resulted in publication).
Kent, S. A. M., Jordan, P. J., & Troth, A. T. (2012). Mapping the terrain of aggression
within the workplace context. Presented at EMONET VIII, Helsinki, July, 2012
(Resulted in publication).
Kent, S. A. M. (2012). Examining women who are targets of social manipulation (post-
confirmation). Presented at Gender Work Studies Conference, Keele University, UK,
June, 2012.
Kent, S. A. M. (2011). Examining women who are targets of social manipulation (pre-
confirmation). Australasian Workplace Bullying Research Network Workshop,
Griffith University (South Bank, Brisbane) June, 2011 (paper presentation).
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Kent, S. A. M., Jordan, P. J., & Troth, A. T. (2010). The difference between a proactive and
reactive target: How do they differ in behaviour? Presented at 5th Asia-Pacific
Symposium on Emotions in Worklife, University of Queensland, Brisbane, November,
2010 (poster presentation).
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Acknowledgements
“Corporel Kent, vous êtes trop intelligent pour être l'un des troopies - il semble plus de
raisonnable que vous laissez les CF pour faire votre maîtrise!” Capitaine Gregoire Ouellette,
Deputy Commanding Officer, 1 CMBG HQ & Sigs, (March, 2004).

“Nil desperandum carborundum”
(Dr John Ruff Gwilt – September 1920 – March 2015)

Professional acknowledgements

I would like to officially acknowledge and give my appreciation to the many
individuals who have supported me, whether it is at certain stages of my PhD process or
throughout its entirety. First, I owe biggest acknowledgement and gratitude is to my
supervisors, Associate Professor Ashlea Troth and Professor Peter Jordan.

Ashlea, you have been my coach, mentor, and advocate! I know that in my heart, I
would not have gone as far as I have without you being all of those three things for me at any
given moment. I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for you as a person
and as a scholar. Juste comme les tasses dites, vous sera un professeur - très bientôt! It
warms my heart that you show off my silly Canadian mementos/gifts (i.e., coffee mug,
moose figurine) loud and proud in your office (don’t forget those knitted dishcloths!) You
are a Canuck at heart! Je serai pour toujours reconnaissant à vous!

Peter, you took a chance on me in one face-to-face meeting that was set up by
Professor Neal Ashkanasy in March 2009. Since then, you have guided me through my
masters degree thesis (when I was left to my own devices) and now my PhD thesis. We have
had an interesting relationship, however, I would be remiss if I did not step up and say that it
has been a personal growing experience working with you. You have remained steadfast and
unmoveable in order to make sure I finished this degree – no matter how much doubt I had
within myself.

I owe Professor Neal Ashkanasy endless gratitude for making all of this happen.
From the start, we have had a serendipitous relationship. My meeting you happened in one
fluke phone call to Professor Peter Salovey. It was Peter Salovey who recommended that I
speak with you about qualitative studies within the EI field of research. By the end of that
phone call, he gave me your phone number and sent me on my way to a new direction in my
life. That new direction started in one phone call with you in February 2008, which set the
stage for my new life. Who would have known that our uncles worked together in England
during World War 2? My uncle (Dr John Gwilt) was on the verge of being a frontier for
Panadol in the UK and your uncle (Harry Schmith) was liaising with him about the product.
Serendipity at its best! Neal, you have been exceptionally good to me throughout my PhD
candidature (e.g., book chapters, ERCOBA, lending a listening ear, etc.) and I am deeply
grateful!

I would like to thank each and every PhD candidate that I have been acquainted with
at one time or another. I would not have found my confidence to finish my PhD without
those conversations we have had about philosophy, experimental/cognitive psychology, and
research paradigms (i.e., Caroline for Chapter 3, Rebecca, and Nayeth respectively). I
especially thank all of the dear, darling friends who have been so wonderful in giving me an
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