Undermining the Moral Emotions: Emotional Tyranny in Work Relationships

Author:

• Vincent Waldron (Arizona State Univ West)

Abstract:

Emotional tyranny is the use of emotion in a manner that can be destructive, controlling, unjust, and even cruel. It is a practice that dulls the moral function of emotion in social relations and negates the capacity of members to express dissent. Grounded in qualitative accounts collected at various sites of organizational conflict, this paper documents the communication practices of emotional tyrannists and presents a conceptual model, based on the work of Bernard Weiner.