Reprisal or revenge taken against someone for a perceived wrongdoing.
Published in Chapter:
Forgiveness in the Workplace: Fuel for Individual and Organizational Success
Nancy Kymn Harvin Rutigliano (State University of New York Empire State College, USA), Sandra Barkevich (State University of New York Empire State College, USA), and Betty Hurley (State University of New York Empire State College, USA)
Copyright: © 2017
|Pages: 13
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1049-9.ch061
Abstract
All members of an organization—no matter where they reside on the organization chart—are fallible human beings. Mistakes, therefore, are inevitable. How mistakes are dealt with greatly impacts organizational culture, which is a major determinant of productivity and performance as well as satisfaction and loyalty. We make the case that forgiveness, while seldom discussed in the workplace or in leadership development programs, can be a major contributing factor to organizational success. Evidence will be provided that when mistakes are dealt with in an environment of forgiveness and as learning opportunities, the outcomes are more likely to be positive. Connections are made to employer and employee satisfaction as well as motivation, retention, and loyalty. We further show that forgiveness in the workplace promotes understanding, tolerance, and acceptance as well as the freedom to be creative, innovative, and to excel. Examples are provided from the literature and common situations at work as to how forgiveness can be effective in fueling success.