The Right Way to Express Your Anger at Work

You will likely become angry during your work, mainly if Deanna Geddes, a professor of human resources management, and Dirk Lindebaum, a professor of management and administration, discuss three circumstances.

Workplace anger often gets a bad rap. It reminds us of images of abusive bosses who intimidate their employees or creative people who are arrogant by ego and do not accept criticism. We often see disgruntled employees heading to the mail, becoming violent after being angered by something or someone, or perhaps thinking about the daily troubles that cause discontent in the workplace, from co-workers who don't meet our expectations to unfavorable offensive emails.

However, not all patterns of anger are generated in the same way, and some types of anger - most notably “moral outrage” - a concept noted in a recent paper published in The Journal of Organizational Behavior, may be critical to the safety of our organizations.

Moral outrage is not generated by the occurrence or non-occurrence of something, rather by the errors and moral violations committed against others. We become angry when we witness unfair or humiliating practices against a colleague, biased and indifferent management practices, or as a result of company policies that are dangerously flawed and harmful products.

Moral anger is an intense emotional state; it is generated by a breach of a recognized moral standard, which affects others more than the person themselves, and more importantly, it prompts us to take action to improve the situation, even in the face of significant personal risk.

When the term "moral" is added to anger, it necessarily refers to good intentions, and when we seek to uphold moral standards, ensure fair treatment, or protect the weak, moral anger differs from other forms of anger.

The difference between moral anger and other forms of anger:

1. Violation of General Standards:

Moral outrage arises from a violation of general standards of justice, morality, or human dignity, not from a violation of one's own choices, values, or ideas. For example, instead of being outraged by an insult directed at you by a co-worker or manager, moral outrage often arises when an employee witnesses a false accusation or punishment of a co-worker despite being innocent. What is worse is a situation in which managers bully or intimidate their employees, demonstrating an evident misuse of their authority. General moral standards are at the core of the moral fabric of society. Society in general, and individuals in particular, tend to feel anger alike when these norms are violated.

2. Caring for Others:

Moral anger reflects altruism, where the individual focuses on the needs and rights of others more than their focus on what belongs to them. Instead of feeling upset as a result of the damage or inconvenience caused to us, our anger is a result of our desire to help others, especially the weak ones. It is possible to resent someone is screaming at you, but the anger- although justified- feeds your ego and pride primary nutrition. However, your anger as a result of being a witness to someone else's harassment would stimulate the generation of moral anger, where selfishness conflicts with moral anger.

3. Take Corrective Action:

Moral anger prompts us to act to improve the situation while recognizing that anger is an emotion and not an action. If anger does not lead to an act to correct the case, then it lacks the characteristic of “moral”. Being angry because someone has been treated badly - without prompting you to do something about it, because it is none of your business, or because it should, can, or will be handled by someone else - is evidence that your anger does not fall under the category of moral anger.

Referring to the preceding examples, for anger to be moral, a colleague witnessing unfair treatment must support and defend their oppressed colleague. Only then can we talk about the corrective power of moral anger. Moral anger often involves reporting wrongdoing.

For example, in the famous case depicted in the 1999 movie "The Insider" 1996 Jeff Wigand, Vice President of Research and Development at Brown and Williamson Tobacco, was responsible for developing cigarettes that are less harmful to health, by reporting a violation committed by the company. It has intentionally increased the amount of nicotine in the cigarettes it manufactures, which has increased its addictive nature.

After voicing his dissent within the company, he reported being harassed and receiving anonymous death threats. In an interview with Mike Wallace in 1996, Wiegand stated that he was outraged by the company's decision to stop manufacturing healthier cigarettes. Eventually, he mustered the courage to talk about it. However, informing posed a great danger to him and his family at the same time, in which he revealed unethical practices of the American Tobacco Company.

In the end, Wiegand's work likely benefited millions of people who could have been harmed by the use of this product.

Personal experiences are likely to be milder and less violent, though no less important or valuable when our anger prompts us to speak up on behalf of our colleagues, who are subject to injustice, intimidation, bullying, discrimination, cruelty, or disrespect. Moral anger is an energy we can use to overcome our tendency to remain silent or not engage in conflict. As political philosopher Edmund Burke reminds us: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is good men and women doing nothing to prevent it.”

There are many benefits to encouraging employees to speak out about being witnesses to threatening behaviors, false accusations, or rampant repressive tactics. At the very least, challenging these ethical violations in the workplace can expose perpetrators and erroneous practices. Leaving room to express moral anger at work can reinforce the support, compassion, courage, integrity, and fairness that permeate the work environment. Managers who allow or even encourage their employees to express moral anger are aware of what is going on, more importantly, the need for a change in their areas of influence. Expressing anger in the workplace indicates that something is wrong that requires immediate attention and genuine care by management.

Does that mean we want angry workplaces? Yes  and no. Expressing anger for personal purposes must be kept to a minimum. However, when we find ourselves witnessing disgustingly wrong behavior, we must do or say something in that regard. Organizations and their members benefit when disclosing and reducing immoral behaviors.

Is it possible that you are ready to express your moral anger? Yes, and is it worth the risk, given the opportunity you're likely to give someone else? Yes. Moral anger indicates that we care about others, not only our matters, and at the same time, it can help to correct many of the problems we face at work and in society. A world without anger will be a world without reforms, and it is a world we do not want to live in regardless of the peace and harmony that prevails.