Explaining Organizational Responses to Workplace Aggression

Although scholarship in the area of workplace aggression is beginning to flourish, the varied definitions, assumptions, and methodologies used to describe workplace aggression compound the challenge of formulating practical theory and models to address workplace aggression. While this phenomenon occurs in public, private, and nonprofit organizations, the unique political and legal context of public organizations warrants targeted attention. We propose the organizational Accountability Grid as an umbrella concept to understand how organizations become permissive or disciplined cultures in their responses to workplace aggression. The productive management of workplace aggression is necessary to ensure the accountable pursuit of the public interest.