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Anger and Organization Studies : From Social Disorder to Moral Order

Lindebaum, Dirk and Gabriel, Yiannis LU (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.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
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
  • scopus:84977134302
  • wos:000379788300003
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
2024-06-16 00:54:11
@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}},
}