ABSTRACT
Imagine being an employee in a poorly run workplace, one with a handful of Machiavellian managers who have helped to create a work environment fraught with office politics and intrigue. Furthermore, suppose that the staff includes an assortment of individuals who appear to be morally challenged, in the sense that they repeatedly fail to take a stand when colleagues are unfairly treated or professional standards are violated. For instance, there’s the officemate whose compulsive need for affection and approbation makes him a pawn for unscrupulous superiors. He’s a smart dresser who prides himself on staying up-to-date on the latest trends in fashion, music, and entertainment, and he’s a natural born master of ceremonies who is good at putting others at ease. Witty and vivacious, he makes colleagues and clients feel that he likes them, although privately he disdains them for being so gullible. While he may catch occasional glimpses of his exploitive tendencies and general disdain for the unwashed masses, his self-image as a charismatic and gregarious person prevents him from recognizing evidence to the contrary. He generally takes great pride in his ability to get others to like him and even enjoys manipulating them, although he also scorns such behavior as egocentric and shallow. Moreover, he lacks confidence in his other abilities—which are not inconsiderable—and tends to overcompensate by exaggerating his skill at manipulating others. If he eventually encounters a conflict with his superiors and is sanctioned, he feels completely humiliated, devastated, and powerless. In general he tells himself that it is reasonable to be a good soldier in office politics, since to do otherwise would be to put his job at risk. Although it is true that siding with management in workplace conflicts carries with it increased job security, failure to do so would not necessarily mean loss of employment. Also, it is possible that he could find an even better position 123elsewhere. Ultimately, his rationale serves to hide from himself his emotional dependence upon the approval and amity of his superiors.
