Falkenberg, LorenOgunfowora, BabatundeStackhouse, Madelynn Raissa Dawn2017-07-122017-07-1220172017http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3943Although there is growing interest in forgiveness in the workplace as a positive outcome for repairing workplace relationships, little is known about unforgiveness in response to workplace transgressions. This dissertation explores the conditions in which unforgiveness may be a functional response to a transgression. An exploratory qualitative study of supervisor narratives of subordinate transgressions systematically analyzed the nature of workplace unforgiveness, how it differs from forgiveness, and its functional value within the context of supervisor-subordinate relationships (Study 1). While forgiven narratives tended to minimize the offender’s role in the offense, unforgiven narratives tended to emphasize the negative consequences of the offense and portray the offense as diagnostic of moral flaws in the offender’s character. Additionally, in line with a risk protection view of unforgiveness, unforgiven narratives emphasized more rigorous behavioral safeguards to prevent the incident from reoccurring (e.g., changing policies, choosing not to assign future consequential tasks to the transgressor) compared to forgiven narratives. A quantitative critical incident study (Study 2) demonstrates that stronger supervisor unforgiveness post-transgression predicts greater use of task-based and relational exclusion as safeguards. This study further demonstrates that the positive links between supervisor unforgiveness and both types of exclusion safeguards are mediated by self-protection motives. Finally, an experimental study (Study 3) demonstrates that supervisors who express unforgiveness of a subordinate’s offense are viewed as more effective and less passive by third party observers compared to supervisors that forgive. The study also shows that supervisors who express unforgiveness engender reduced team member intentions to turnover from the team and improved team member satisfaction. Study 3 further demonstrates that these effects are mediated by the “doormat effect” – that is, compared to forgiving supervisors, unforgiving supervisors are less likely to be viewed as individuals who let others take advantage of them. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for future studies of workplace forgiveness and unforgiveness and the practical benefits of supervisor unforgiveness under certain circumstances.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Business Administration--ManagementSociology--OrganizationalPsychology--IndustrialTransgressionForgivenessUnforgivenessLeadershipdoctoral thesis10.11575/PRISM/27937