Anger and Organization Studies : From Social Disorder to Moral Order
(2016) In Organization Studies 37(7). p.903-918- Abstract
In this essay, we oppose current conceptualizations of anger as, at least, a temporary individual psychological disorder and as the cause of a social disorder. We develop the view that anger can be a profoundly moral emotion aimed at maintaining moral order and restoring social order when this has been ruptured. Moral anger is distinguished from other types of anger, like the ones arising from routine frustration, break-downs of communication and ego violations. Through a close reading of the jury drama Twelve Angry Men, we demonstrate that moral anger has an information dimension, signaling a rupture of a moral code, as well as an energic dimension, as a source of energy aimed at putting right a wrong. We conclude that a world without... (More)
In this essay, we oppose current conceptualizations of anger as, at least, a temporary individual psychological disorder and as the cause of a social disorder. We develop the view that anger can be a profoundly moral emotion aimed at maintaining moral order and restoring social order when this has been ruptured. Moral anger is distinguished from other types of anger, like the ones arising from routine frustration, break-downs of communication and ego violations. Through a close reading of the jury drama Twelve Angry Men, we demonstrate that moral anger has an information dimension, signaling a rupture of a moral code, as well as an energic dimension, as a source of energy aimed at putting right a wrong. We conclude that a world without anger would be, possibly, a compliant and quiescent world but not a just world.
(Less)
- author
- Lindebaum, Dirk and Gabriel, Yiannis LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2016-07-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Moral anger, Moral order, Organizing, Social disorder
- in
- Organization Studies
- volume
- 37
- issue
- 7
- pages
- 16 pages
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000379788300003
- scopus:84977134302
- ISSN
- 0170-8406
- DOI
- 10.1177/0170840616640848
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 01b9b869-6296-4e60-b12e-fd57b0433c62
- date added to LUP
- 2017-01-17 10:05:27
- date last changed
- 2025-04-20 03:45:38
@article{01b9b869-6296-4e60-b12e-fd57b0433c62,
abstract = {{<p>In this essay, we oppose current conceptualizations of anger as, at least, a temporary individual psychological disorder and as the cause of a social disorder. We develop the view that anger can be a profoundly moral emotion aimed at maintaining moral order and restoring social order when this has been ruptured. Moral anger is distinguished from other types of anger, like the ones arising from routine frustration, break-downs of communication and ego violations. Through a close reading of the jury drama Twelve Angry Men, we demonstrate that moral anger has an information dimension, signaling a rupture of a moral code, as well as an energic dimension, as a source of energy aimed at putting right a wrong. We conclude that a world without anger would be, possibly, a compliant and quiescent world but not a just world.</p>}},
author = {{Lindebaum, Dirk and Gabriel, Yiannis}},
issn = {{0170-8406}},
keywords = {{Moral anger; Moral order; Organizing; Social disorder}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
number = {{7}},
pages = {{903--918}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Organization Studies}},
title = {{Anger and Organization Studies : From Social Disorder to Moral Order}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0170840616640848}},
doi = {{10.1177/0170840616640848}},
volume = {{37}},
year = {{2016}},
}