http://cbr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/2/57

Managing Envy and Jealousy in the Workplace

by Kim Dogan and Robert P. Vecchio

Negative emotion is a common experience for many employees. Competition for rewards, resources and recognition drives much of the animosity and ill feelings associated with employee envy and jealousy. In this article, the causes and consequences of employee resentment are highlighted. Factors that contribute to greater levels of employee resentment include reengineering, diversity and generational conflicts. In addition to reduced performance, dysfunctional consequences of negative emotion include stress, job dissatisfaction, withdrawal, retaliation and poor citizenship. The article concludes with a set of five specific suggestions for reducing and managing negative emotion at work: (a) giving consideration to emotional maturity at the time of hire, (b) using teams and participative management, (c) implementing an incentive system that supports employee cooperation, (d) encouraging open communication and (e) placing high achievers in mentor positions.

My conclusions:

Being an employee – i.e. working to get others richer – implies competition, animosity, resentment, jealousy and envy. Its consequences are stress, job dissatisfaction, withdrawal, retaliation and poor citizenship.

My suggestions:

Avoid working for making people rich altogether. If you feel like working, do it :

• to make yourself happy i.e. to get the “flow” experience
• to make your friends and/or family and/or community happier