After re-confirming an earlier finding that as many as 60% of subordinates retaliate in major and minor ways after suffering a boss’s abuse, using data from 100 participants, this investigation identified the characteristics of successful (the abuse is discontinued) and unsuccessful retaliation. Without arguing that retribution is the response of choice to boss abuse, evidence is presented showing that well-crafted retaliation often produces benefits for the abused subordinate, the organization, and even the abusive boss. Action steps that might guide crafting an abused employee’s response to a boss’s abuse are provided as well as directions for future research.
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