SADOMASOCHISM, HUMAN AGGRESSION, AND THE PROBLEM OF WORKPLACE MOBBING AND BULLYING: A COMMENTARY

This article addresses the challenges of mobbing and bullying in the workplace by focusing on 4 intersecting problems arising from the efforts to "diagnose and treat" this form of aberrant behavior in contemporary organizations. These include the need to understand mobbing and bullying as a manifestation of the universal human psychodynamic pattern of sadomasochism; the question of the appropriateness and value of applying the "health metaphor" to human organizations and the associated challenge of the rescue fantasies of practitioners; the likelihood of success of legal proscriptions against such behaviors; and the eternal need for developing effective managers. Several suggestions are offered to consulting practitioners for improving their ability to help client organizations address such challenges.