Reconceptualizing revenge for the 21st century: an identity maintenance perspective

Robert J. Bies, Christine C. Hwang, Eunjeong Shin, Laurie J. Barclay and Thomas M. Tripp

Chapter 8 in Handbook of Counterproductive Work Behavior, 2025, pp 123-139 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In this chapter, we highlight the importance of recognizing that revenge is rooted in morality and identity. By considering revenge through the lens of identity maintenance, we reveal how revenge seekers and revenge recipients may engage in identity-based tugs-of-war in which the dynamics of stigma and power can impact how people interpret and differentially label acts of revenge to pursue their own interests (e.g., legitimize one’s own behavior while delegitimizing the other’s behavior). We conclude by offering exciting new research directions, including exploring how the meaning of revenge is socially constructed through dynamic and dialectical processes as well as through language and disparate perspectives, how revenge can be distinguished from related constructs (e.g., retaliation, counterproductive behavior) by positioning it within a morality/identity nomological network, the importance of embedding revenge in its social and cultural contexts, and recognizing the role of revenge as a driver of social change.

Keywords: Revenge; Identity maintenance; Counterproductive work behavior; Stigma; Power; Tug-of-war (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035306664
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