Imagine a competitive business setting in which you are trying to get promoted. You find out that your direct competition for the promotion has been downgrading your work performance and commitment to the company to your supervisors. Within this context, identify the type of aggression and potential motivation for the aggression your coworker exhibited. Then, explain whether you view your coworker’s actions as acceptable. How would your perception of acceptability change if you considered the coworker as a male versus a female? Why might a change in perception occur (even if yours would not)?
Sample Solution
The type of aggression exhibited by my coworker in this context is passive aggression. Passive aggression can take many forms, such as procrastination, avoidance, subtle insults and the intentional downgrading of someone else’s work. In this case, my coworker’s motivation for exhibiting this type of behavior could be to gain an advantage over me in order to secure the promotion.
Sample Solution
The type of aggression exhibited by my coworker in this context is passive aggression. Passive aggression can take many forms, such as procrastination, avoidance, subtle insults and the intentional downgrading of someone else’s work. In this case, my coworker’s motivation for exhibiting this type of behavior could be to gain an advantage over me in order to secure the promotion.