Premium
Effective Assertive Behavior in the Workplace: Responding to Unfair Criticism
Author(s) -
Wilson Keithia L.,
Lizzio Alfred J.,
Whicker Leanne,
Gallois Cynthia,
Price Julie
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2003.tb01901.x
Subject(s) - psychology , social psychology , operationalization , obligation , empathy , interpersonal communication , assertion , criticism , empathic concern , assertiveness , perspective taking , epistemology , law , philosophy , programming language , political science , computer science
A social rules perspective was employed to identify the elements of socially appropriate responses to unfair criticism in the workplace. Women generally endorsed for themselves response strategies based on stronger obligation and softer rights components, while men endorsed responses based on stronger personal rights expression and weaker obligation components. In support of the utility of a social rules approach to operationalizing context‐specific expectations, behavioral responses based on gender and status‐specific rules were evaluated as more effective on task, relationship, and self‐respect dimensions than were rights‐only, rights‐plus‐empathy, or submissive strategies. Results are discussed in terms of the development of a context‐specific model of interpersonal competence and implications for interpersonal skills and assertion training.