What makes a person angry in a specific instance may be any combination of causes. But generally, anger is driven by a sense that one's value or self-worth is being threatened. For example, anger can be triggered by feelings of betrayal, humiliation, and exploitation. This points to the importance of respect in all your workplace interactions.
There are five causes of anger that seem to be commonly noted across many different business environments:
- dissatisfaction with the system
- unequal treatment
- hindered goals
- dissimilar values
- hierarchical relationships
Dissatisfaction with the system
Dissatisfaction with the system is a predominant cause of anger in the workplace. If you find you or your colleagues tend to blame "the system," it's a pretty good indicator that something's wrong with the way things are being done in your organization. Dissatisfaction with the system is hard to resolve; it will take time and dedication to find solutions and defuse the anger that's generated because of it.
In most cases, the source of dissatisfaction with the system is factors that are beyond your control, which then leads to anger. Three typical factors that lead to dissatisfaction with the system are increased competition, the size of the organization, and higher performance expectations.
Unequal treatment
It's natural to compare yourself to others in the workplace. Often, this comparison is based on a "give-and-get" ratio. You give things like hard work, education, or talent. In return, you get monetary reward, promotions, and recognition. But when you discover inequality between your give-and-get ratio in comparison to others, it may make you angry – especially if a coworker is giving less than you, but getting more. Unequal treatment is another common cause of anger in the workplace.
Hindered goals
Hindered goals are another typical source of anger in the workplace. Achieving goals is typically equated with being successful at work. Performance reviews, salary increases, promotions, respect, and recognition are usually goal related and impact a person's career. When efforts to achieve goals are hindered, it can cause anger because of the potential for it to negatively impact careers.
Goals are likely to be hindered when one person or group's goals differ from those of another person or group. And in larger organizations, this tends to be the norm rather than the exception.
For instance, while working toward long-term organizational goals, the goals of departments and individuals within the organization may differ. However, short-term goals are even more likely to be divergent, and therefore offer even more opportunity for them to be hindered and cause anger.
Dissimilar values
Another cause of workplace anger is dissimilar values. Unlike personal values, which are typically dissimilar, professional values are commonly shared and considered important within work environments. When these values are disrespected or disregarded, it can make people angry.
The most commonly shared workplace values are competency, hard work, and integrity. When these values are shared, employees are likely to be able to work productively and harmoniously. In contrast, when individuals perceive a disregard or violation of these values it can cause anger.
Hierarchical relationships
The final cause of anger in the workplace is the hierarchical work structure that exists in most every business. In hierarchical relationships, each successively higher level has control over the level below. It's quite natural for subordinates to be susceptible to the actions of their superiors – and anger is common in this relationship.
This may be because subordinates don't have full control over their livelihoods – they depend on employers for the means of making a living. Superiors have a lot of control over what and how subordinates do their jobs, which makes many individuals susceptible to fear. Fear combined with a lack of control will often escalate into anger, especially if superiors abuse their power or treat their subordinates with disrespect.
The five common causes of workplace anger are dissatisfaction with the system, unequal treatment, hindered goals, dissimilar values, and hierarchical relationships. These causes of anger aren't mutually exclusive - they can work in combination. Dissatisfaction with the system generally prevents workers from doing their jobs properly and stems from issues beyond their control. Unequal treatment makes people angry because they think others are getting more from the give-and-get ratio. Hindered goals are a trigger for anger because goals are a measure of success in the workplace. When commonly held work values are treated with disrespect or disregard, dissimilar values can cause anger. Finally, hierarchical work relationships can cause anger, especially if those with power treat subordinates with disrespect or abuse that power.