Revenge revisited: constructive retaliation as a response to workplace injustice

Purpose The current research presents a conceptual framework that explores how victims of workplace injustice may retaliate in ways that benefit their well-being as well as that of the organization. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper reviews extant literature to consider the theoretical underpinnings of the functional or constructive outcomes of seeking revenge within a workplace setting in response to organizational injustice. Findings This theorized framework is intended to serve as a guide for future scholarship to explore a more nuanced understanding of how individuals may respond in constructive ways to workplace injustice. Originality/value The traditional views of revenge have assumed that, following an injustice, the victim may re-establish a subjective sense of justice by inflicting harm upon the perpetrator(s) via deviant or destructive retaliation. However, little attention has been paid to the possibility that revenge or retaliation can be conducted in ways that enhance the well-being of the victim and are compatible with organizational norms. This research is among the scant literature that considers a form of revenge that generates positive outcomes for the victim of the workplace injustice as well as for the organization and, at the same time, restores a subjective state of justice. The authors refer to this novel concept as constructive retaliation.