forgiveness in organisation among managersjps.uum.edu.my/images/jps/16/v16_2013_65_82.pdf · 2017....

Forgiveness in Organisation among Managers

(SikapMemaafkanParaPengurusdalamOrganisasi)

AB.AZIZYUSOF&NURFITRIAHAHMEDFADZIL

PusatPengajianPerniagaan,KolejPerniagaan,UniversitiUtaraMalaysia.

[email protected]

Abstract

Managers are challenged with the daunting task of employee motivation and enhancingtheirefficiencies.Theconceptof forgivenessmayhelpmakesthetask easier as forgiveness is an important factor in enhancing better working relationship and fosters motivating working environment and leads to higher morale. Therefore deriving from various literatures on philosophy and management this paper intends to conceptually discuss the role of managers in enhancing a sense of and creating a culture of forgiveness in an organization. A review of the literature on philosophy, management and operation was conducted in order to conceptually explore the role of managers in enhancing a sense of and creating a culture of forgiveness in an organization. Managers play a critical role in enhancing a sense of forgiveness in an organization. Their role focuses on creating and preparing a positive environment that are conducive for employees’ emotional readiness to forgive any acts or wrongdoings against them at the work place. In doing this, the manager also should be able to forgive as well. Furthermore managers must also develop and create a culture that enhance the sense of forgiveness in an organization by undertaking the various processes that could lead to the act of forgiveness which will bring positive results to the organization. This in turn will assist the organization to meet its goals.

Keywords: forgiveness, organization, managers

Abstrak

Pengurus sering berdepan dengan cabaran sukar untuk memotivasikan dan meningkatkan keefisyenan pekerja. Konsep kemaafan boleh memudahkanlagi tugas ini kerana ianya merupakan faktor penting dalam meningkatkan hubungan pekerjaan diantara pekerja dan majikan dan menggalakkan persekitaran kerja yang memotivasikan dan boleh meningkatkan semangat

Jurnal Pembangunan Sosial Jilid 16 (Jun) 2013: 65–82

66 Jurnal Pembangunan Sosial Jilid 16

bekerja. Oleh itu daripada pelbagai ulasan karya yang diperolehi daripada bidang falsafah pengurusan, kertas kerja ini bertujuan untuk membincangkan secara konseptual peranan pengurus dalam mewujudkan perasaan kemaafan dan budaya maaf-memaafkan dalam organisasi. Satu sintesis kritikal ke atas ulasan-ulasan karya berkenaan bidang falsafah pengurusan dan operasi telah dijalankan bagi meneroka secara konseptual peranan pengurus dalam mewujudkan perasaan kemaafan serta budaya maaf-memaafkan dalam organisasi. Pengurus memainkan peranan yang kritikal dalam meningkatkan perasaan kemaafan dalam organisasi.. Fokus peranan mereka adalah ke arah mewujudkan dan menyediakan persekitaran positif yang sesuai untuk pekerja supaya mereka mempunyai kesediaan emosi untuk memaafkan apa-apa tindakan atau kesalahan yang dilakukan terhadap mereka di tempat kerja. Dalam hal ini, pengurus juga perlu memaafkan kesalahan-kesalahan yang dilakukan terhadapnya. Pengurus juga mesti membentuk dan mewujudkan budaya yang meningkatkan perasaan kemaafan dalam organisasi yang melalui pelbagai proses yang boleh membawa kepada kewujudan tindakan memaafkan yang boleh membawa hasil positif kepada organisasi. Ini kemudiannya dapat membantu organisasi mencapai matlamatnya.

Kata kunci:Kemaafan, organisasi, pengurus

Introduction

Therearesomebehaviouralconstructswithinanorganizationthathadreceivedlittleattention(Madsen,Gygi,HammondandPlowman,2008).Theconstructscan be an important influence of performance and productivity of workersor individual employees. One of these behavior constructs is forgiveness(CameronandCaza,2002).

Asworkplace iswroughtwithhumaninteraction,possibleconflict,altercationsandpersonalinjurieseffectedononeanotherisunavoidable.Itisimperativethereforefororganisationandmanagersaliketoseekoutavenuestorepairthegrievancesanddamagedrelationshipresultingfrominterpersonalinjuryfrominterpersonalrelationshipsattheworkplaceinordertopreserveinterpersonal relationships harmony and overcome negative thoughts andemotions. Forgiveness provides such an avenue (Aquino, Tripp and Bies,2003).Thehealingaspectof thebehaviorcannotbedeniedastheabilitytohealabrokenrelationshipcanhaveaprofoundimpactonthefunctionsandthenatureoflifeattheworkplace(Aquinoetal.,2003).Furthermoreitisindicatedthatgoodworking relationships are essential toorganisational effectiveness(Kurzynski,1998).Asanemployeespendsmostofhistimeattheworkplace,the environment and atmosphere there can be a powerful influence in theemployee’s lifeexperience (ButlerandMullis,2001).Beingable to forgive

Forgiveness in Organisation 67

andbeingforgivenforanyintentionalorunintentionaltransgressioncantakeaweightofaperson’smindleavinghimwithabetteremotionalstatetofocusonwork.

Inthisneweconomy,whichischaracterizedbyescalatingspeedofchange, increasing alienation and a growing search for meaning, it makesgood business sense to practice the art of forgiveness. From the harmonicenvironment that forgiveness brings it is expected that there should be lessturnover activities, increases creativity and innovative exchanges, enhancesreturns and greater flexibility in adapting to changing market conditions.Forgivenessisnotaneventoraone-timedecision. It isnotsomethingonedecidestodoinaflashofunderstandingorcompassionfortheother.Thoughforgivenessrestsonone’sconsciousdecisiontoforgive,onedoesnotwakeupanddecidethattodayisthedaytoforgiveandbedonewithit.Forgivenessalso begins with the existence of truthfulness and acknowledging one’sresponsibility(Madsenetal.,2008)

If we truly want to create a more nurturing and compassionateworkplacewherepeoplefeelasenseapurposeandmeaningitisessentialtomakeforgivenessaregularpractice.Itnotonlymakessensetotreatpeoplewithcompassionandunderstanding,itmakesbusinesssense-thefirmsthatgrowandthriveinthetwenty-firstcenturyaretheonesthatcreateanenvironmentof thriving in the workplace by practicing the principles of compassionateleadership.

Definition Of Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be understood from the aspect of a process by which anoffendedworkercognitivelyacknowledgesthewrongfulnessofaninjuriousactanddeliberatelychoosestoreleasenegativeemotionsandinhibitthedesireforrevenge.Forgivenessmayrepairdamagedworkplacerelationshipsintheaftermathofapersonaloffense.Leftunattended,damagedworkrelationshipsandtheresultingresentmentandanger,allthesecaninterferewithperformanceandproductivitywheneverpeoplemustwork interdependently (EnrightandCoyle1998,McCullough,FinchamandTsang,2003).

Anotherapproachatunderstandingforgivenessisbyidentifyingthedimensionsthatexistwithinaparticularbehaviouralcontextthatdefinesitasaforgivingact(SellsandHargrave,1998).Theremustexistapersonalinjuryofanemotionalnatureoronethatcausebodilyharm.Thatinjuryiscorrespondedbyhurtorpaineitherphysicaloremotional.Theaftermathofsuchinjuryisthebreakinguporfragmentationofrelationshipsespeciallytheoneforgedattheworkplace.However,onceinjuryisrealized,theperpetuationofsuchinjuryis


stoppedimmediately.Thepartythatsuffersthepainreleaseshis/herjustifiableemotionforbeinginjuredorwrongedandseekstostopanyretaliation.He/shethenproceedstonormalizethebrokenrelationship.

From these dimensions it shows that forgiveness involves theprocessofgivingupblameor stoppingany faultfindingaction.However itshould be noted that forgiveness in theworkplace is not a simple issue. Itsometimescanbedifficulttopracticeattheworkplace.Fromexternalaspect,organizationaland legalstructuresoftencreateculturalnormswhichdonotsupportactsofforgiveness.Thecommonculture isalwaysfindingfaultsorsomeonetoreprimandor“blame”andthereisafearthatifweletpeople“offthehook”,thiswouldbeasignalthatsuchbehavioriscondonedanditwouldundermineaccountabilityandsetsabadexampleforotheremployees.Thisisnotconduciveforthenurturingofforgivingculture.Fromsuchorganizationalculturetheattitudewillbeexpandedintointerpersonalrelationshipsmakingforgivenessmoredifficulttopractice.

Onedimensionofforgivenessisthatanacknowledgementofinjurythat has occurred. Most accounts of forgiveness identify two necessaryconditionsforforgivenesstoevenoccur(SellsandHargrave,1998):

1) Aninjurytoonepersonmusthaveoccurred2) Theinjuredpartyisawareofhavingbeeninjured.

Unlike condoning, excusing or justifying which disregards thatan injury or offense has occurred, forgiveness requires that the offense isacknowledgedandthewrongdoerheldaccountableforhisorheractions.Byacknowledging thatawrongfulactionhasbeenperformed the injuredpartymustengage in theemotionalworkrequired towork through theangerandresentmentheorsherightfullymayfeel.Thoughforgivenessmayultimatelybe given, the wrongful behavior or offending action may continue to becondemned, but the wrongdoer is released from the effects of the offense(ScobieandScobie,1998).

Forgivenessisaprocess.PhilosopherH.J.N.Horsbrughintroducedasomewhatnovelconceptofforgivenesswhenhedescribeditasaprocess.Almostallotherphilosophershaveviewedforgivenessasaneventoractofthewill.Theprocess,hesays,beginswiththedecisiontoforgive(volitionalaspect),andcontinuesuntilallnegativefeelings(emotionalaspect)aresuchas anger, resentment, andhostility aregone. Horsbrugh’sunderstandingofforgiveness takes into consideration the human capacity for memory andfeelings,andacknowledgesthatresentmentmaytaketimetoovercomeeventhoughtheinjuredpartymaytrulyforgivehisorheroffender.


Forgivenessisavirtue.Publishednearlythirtyyearsago,philosopherR.S.Downie,wasoneofthefirsttodiscussforgivenessasamoralgoodinsecular terms. His concept of forgiveness is based on the assumption thatforgivenessisavirtue,ormoreprecisely,thereadinesstoforgiveisavirtue.According to Downie (1965) true forgiveness requires one to relinquishall resentment toward the wrongdoer. He suggests that true forgiveness isdemonstratedby a change inbehavior, characterizedby agape, towards thewrongdoerwiththeintentionofrestoringtherelationshiptoitsoriginalstatus.

The Importance Of Encouraging Forgiveness Within Organisation

Goodworkingrelationshipsareessentialtoorganizationaleffectivenessyetitisthequalityoftheinterpersonalrelationshipsthatoftensuffersintheaftermathofsomewrongdoingorconflict.Tensesituationsthatarenotmanagedwellorremainunresolvedmaykeepthepartiesinvolvedinastateofmentalanguishandconstantbattleforpowerorintheworstcasescenariotoseekrevenge.

Forgiveness gives us an opportunity to use the mistakes, failures,flaws and breakdowns of life as opportunities to awaken greater wisdom,compassion and capability in our co-workers and ourselves. The practiceof forgiveness supports the development of organizational cultures wherepeoplefeelfreetotakeresponsiblerisks,stopwithholdingtheircreativityanddemonstratepersonalownershipandenthusiasticcontribution.Wecancreategreaterinternalharmonyandhealingbypracticingtheartofforgivenessbyusingfailuresandunwantedsituationstodevelopacultureofcompassionandunderstanding, a placewhere people feel safe to express fully their naturalgenius and creativity, a placewhere they feel appreciated and experience asenseofjoyandmeaningfromtheirwork.

The value of forgiveness is also important for the development ofanethicalmanager.First,todevelopforgivenessasavirtue,andbeoperatedas an ethical standard of behavior,means that themanager recognizes andacknowledges that awrongwas committed. To deny it by overlooking it,rationalizingthewrongdoeractions,orexplainingitawayleavesnoroomforforgiveness.Second,theactofforgivingrequiresthatthemanageraccepttheresponsibilityandchallenge inacceptingothersashumanpersonswithandwithouttheirfaultsandlearningtolivetogetherwithoutsustainedangerandresentment.Thismeansallowingotherstomakemistakesandholdingthemaccountable,buttonotpenalizethempermanentlyfortheirerrors.

Forgiveness requires change in one’s emotional reaction to thewrongdoer.Whilechange,especiallyofone’sfeelingsorperceptionsisnever


easy,inattemptingtomastertheemotionalaspectsofconflictsandmakethepersonal changes required in order to become a forgiving person, one cancreateanenvironmentwheretrustandrespectflourishes.Inthisrespect,itishighlylikelythatthevirtueofforgivenesscouldbeextremelyefficaciousinstrategizingemployeemanagement.

The Process Of Forgiveness

Intheprocessofforgiveness,therehavetwotypeofprocesswhichisprocessofpersonalforgivenessandprocessforgivenessofothers.

1. Process of personal forgiveness

Forgivenessistheprocessbywhichindividualscanconvertsufferingbroughtonbymakingamistakeintoagrowthexperience.Theprocessinvolves recognition that somethingwronghas been done that hasresultedinguilt.Beside,forgivenessistakingtheresponsibilityfortheactionandlettinggoofguiltthroughself-forgiveness(Borysenko,1990).Belowarethestepsofforgiveness:a) Takeresponsibilityforwhatwasdone.b) ConfessthenatureofthewrongstoGodorahigherpower,one’s

selfandanotherperson.c) Assesspositiveattributes.d) Makeamendswherepossibleaslongasitdoesnoharmtoself

andothers.e) LookatGod,asahigherpower,forhelp.f) Assesswhathasbeenlearnedfromtheexperience.

2. Process Forgiveness of Others

Formostmanagers, forgiveness does not come naturally.Whereasangerthatleadstoretributionisaspontaneousreaction,understandingand forgiveness are harder; the process that involves seeing anincident from another’s point of view usuallymust be intentional.Empathyalsohasbeenfoundtoincreasewhenanapologyisoffered.Empathyfortheoffenderisrelatedtoconciliatorybehaviorandhasbeendemonstratedbyresearchtobelinkedtoforgiveness.Forgivingdoes not remove the scars left by being wronged and wounded.However,whenanemployerforgives,healingoccursandsadnesscanbereplacedbythepositiveeffectofhealing.Forgivingbeginswiththeacceptancethatnoindividualisperfect.Belowarethestepsforforgivenessofothers:


a) Acceptsthelackofperfectioninothers.b) Lookattheincidentfromtheother’spointofview.c) Place self in theoffender’spositionandempathizewithhisorher

feelings.d) Surrendertherighttogeteven.e) Acceptanapologywhenitisoffered.f) Forgive the individual taking administrative action when this is

appropriate but leave the ultimate judgment behavior to outsideforces.

The Development Of Forgiveness At The Workplace

Managers often are selected because of their performance for excellenceandattentiontodetail.Theyhavehighexpectationsforthemselvesandtheirdepartment.Mistakes,wrongdoingsandbehaviorthatinhibitproductivityarecontradictorytothemanager’shighexpectations.Whenanerrorismadebyanindividualwhofallstoappreciatetheharmthiscausestotheeffectiverunningofthedepartment,managerscanbehardpressedtoforgive.Also,forgivenessmaybedifficultbecauseitappearsthattheerrorhascausedirreparabledamage.However,therearevariousbehaviouralelementsthatmanagerscouldadoptinordertodevelopforgivenesswithinthemandamongthesubordinates.

1. Theneedforpersonalforgivenessmustberecognized.2. Forgivenessisfacilitatedwheneventsareputintoperspective.3. Forgivenessremembersthepastwithtruth.4. Forgivenessrememberswithnewrespectforself.5. Forgivenessisforperson,notinstitutions.6. Forgivenessisgivenforwhatwasdone.7. Forgivenessisneededforincidentsthatcannotbeforgotten.8. Forgivenessisforpersonswhowrongthemwhentheywoundthem.

1. The need for personal forgiveness must be recognize Asmanagersmoveawayfrom“you-messages”to“I-messages,”they

willbegintounderstandtheirownroleinthelatestproblemtheyface.Forexample,statementslike,“IfIhadjusthandledthatdifferently.”“IfIhadbeenmoreperceptive.”or“IfIhadpreplannedthatnewinitiativemore carefully.” will bring fresh and healthy insights to the currentcrisis.

2. Forgiveness is facilitated when events are put into perspective The art of forgiveness usually involves putting a bad incident into

perspective.Thegoodaspectsofarelationshiporperformanceshouldbegivenpriority.Amanagerwhoisabletoforgivewillfocusonthe


good thathasgonebefore andmight comeafter.Forgivingdoesnoteditbadthingsoutof thememoryanymorethanitmakesbadthingsqualitativelygood.However,forgivingcanhelpthemanagertofocusonthepositivethingsthatwillfollow.“We’vegottenthatmistakeoutoftheway;we’llallbegladwewon’thavetogothroughthatagain.”Thisplacesthefocusonthevalueofwhathasbeenlearnedandhowthatlearningwillenableavoidanceofsimilarerrorsinthefuture.

3. Forgiveness remembers the past with truth Themanagerialartof forgivenessgives themanagernewcourage to

recallaccuratelyan incident inwhichwrongwasdoneand toacceptpersonalresponsibilityforthesituation.Thus,forgivenessenablesanindividualtoseethetruepictureandenterintotheforgivenessprocess.’All too frequently, when a supervisor looks at an event carefully, itbecomes clear that certainmanagerial actionsmight have eliminatedtheproblematicsituation.Thus,amanagershouldbeslowtoangerandquicktotakepersonalinventory.

4. Forgiveness remembers with new respect for self Managerswhofeelvictimizedby thenegligenceorwrongdoingsof

theirstaffmayallowtheoffensetocausethemtoloserespectforthatworker.Thewaytorestoreself-respectistoforgive.Nothingrestoresself-respect more than breaking the grip of a painful memory andlookingwithhopetothefuture.“Wereallymessedupwiththatone.Let’sbegladnothingworsehappened.Nowlet’splansothatitdoesn’thappenagain”, this sayingcanallowbothmanagerandemployee tomoveonwithhope.

5. Forgiveness is for persons, not institutions. Amanagermayfeelwrongedbyacorporation,agovernmentorsome

otherfacelessorganization.However, institutionscannotbeforgiven.Forgiving is for persons. To experience authentic reconciliation, themanager needs to forgive the specific CEO or supervisor who wasinvolvedintheproblem.

6. Forgiveness is given for what was done, not for who the person is. Mostpeoplearetoocomplextobeforgivenforwhotheyare.Atmost,

themanagercanforgiveaspecificwrongdoing.Whereforgivenessisconcerned,itisbettertonarrowthingsdowntothespecificandtodealwithoneincidentatatime.

7. Forgiveness is needed for incidents that cannot be forgotten. There are many incidents in a day that merely annoy the manager.

Theseshouldbeoverlookedastrivialities.However,whentheoffense


is significantandatoned for, forgiveness isobligatory. Itmaynotbepossible for the manager to forget the wrong doing especially if ithad become habitual or the consequences were still being felt. Butforgivenessweddedtoastrategyforrestitutionoffersthesupervisorabetteroptionthandebilitatinganger.

8. Forgiveness is for persons who wrong them when they wound them. There are pains andwrongful pains. Forgiveness is for personswho

wrong the individual personally when pain is inflicted. Sometimesthedifferencebetweenpainandwrongdoingisnotclearlyapparent.However,beingwrongedusuallyinvolvesthebreakingofatrustandmakingitdifficultfortheoffendedpartytotrustagain.

Thefollowingtable(adaptedandsummarized)providesthepossibleimpactwhenforgivenessisnotforthcoming.

Table 1

Impact of lack of forgiveness on different levels of system

Individual Dyad Team OrganizationAlienation Separation Internal

CompetitionControllingBehaviour

Self-Doubt Conflict LackOfCommonDirection

Secrecy

Righteousness Blame FaultFinding MistrustPreoccupation Avoidance Jealousy HighTurnover

Anger/Withdrawal

Mistrust NegativePolitics

ProtectiveBehaviour

LackOfCreativity/Information

Controlling Gossip BackStabbing

PoorHealth Punishing Manipulation Over-WorkUnhappiness Frustration Stress OutOfBalance

Guilt Anger Frustration ConfusionFear Tension Denial PoliticalPosturing

Depression Judgmental ScoreKeeping Non-CoordinatedWorkforce

Suffering Disharmony Distance LowAllegianceLowSelf-Esteem Agitation

DisappointmentDefensivenessInauthenticBehaviour


Context givesmeaning. If we look at four primary levels of system in anorganizational as contexts we can see how the lack of forgiveness at eachcontextuallevelproducesdifferentmeaningsanddifferentoutcomes.Ateachoftheselevelsthereisalossofenergy,whichisbeingusedforcoveringup,playing safe and avoidingpotentially painful situations. This energy couldbe used to learn, grow, connect and bemore productive.Table 1 show thepredictable outcomes of a context where forgiveness is missing. If thesesymptomsarepresentatthesedifferentlevelsofsystemitisagoodindicationthatforgivenessismissing.

AswecanseefromTable1,thecostofnotforgivinghasanenormousimpactateachlevelofsystem.Ifindividualsfeelthattheyarenotforgiven,ortheycannotforgivethemselves,thereisariskofincreasingseparation,whichleadsto“doingtheirownthing”andcreatingsafetybybecomingmoreandmoreinvisibleormoreadversarial. It ispredictable that theywillwithholdtheir discretionary effort, creativity and authenticity becoming increasinglymorealienated,self-absorbedandpreoccupiedwithdoubtandself-criticism.Sincethemostcommonneedofmostpeopleinanorganizationistobelong,thisalienationwillcontinuetogrowuntilthatpersonleavestheorganizationorbecomesanineffectivememberoftheorganizationjustwaitingforretirement.

Dyads mean two person systems where forgiveness is missing arebreedinggroundsforupsetandconflict. Whenonepersonfeels justifiedinholdingon toanger,blameandresentment theother feelsaneed toprotectthemselves.Bothpartiesfeelvictimizedbytheother,bringingaboutprotectivebehavior that leads to justification, faultfinding, avoidance and maliciousgossip.Theindividualsinvolvedwilloftengotoothersintheorganizationtogainagreementonwhytheyarefeelingjustifiedinavoidingtheotherpersonandtheconflictcansooncreatetensionorbringaboutpunishingbehaviorinotherrelationships,increasingthecomplexityoftheinitialissue.Bygossipingabout another person to someone else, that person is now involved in theconflict.

Whena team isblamed foramistake,or ishurt in somewayeitherintentionally or inadvertently and there is no forgiveness present the teammembersbegintofeellikeitis“usagainstthem”.Conversationsbetweenteammembersrevolvearoundwhatiswrongwiththeotherteamsor“corporate”anditbecomesdifficulttounravelthesituationbecausethereisnolongeraresponsiblepersonorpersondirectlyinvolved.Youcannotforgivephantomentitieslike“them”,“accounting”,“sales”,“HR”,or“corporate”.Thisteamseparationleadstoscorekeeping,negativepolitics,internalcompetitionandkingdombuildingwithinanorganization.

Atthesystemleveloforganizationwearedealingwithculturalissuesfrom within the organization and community perceptions from outside. A


culture that does not promote forgivenesswill be engaged in negative anddestructivepolitics.Peoplewillbeafraidtospeakoutandwillhidetheirtruefeeling,secrecywillbethecommonoperatingmode,employeetrustwillbelowandturnoverwillbehigh.Inaclimateofsecrecypeopleassumetheworst,whichleadstointernalcompetition,gossipandmisinformation.Typicallyinthis type of organization it takes a great deal of effort to produce even thesmallestresultsandburnoutiscommon.

Effect Of Forgiveness On Individuals And Organizations

Forgivenessinsearchofrewardisnottrueforgiveness.Forgivingoccursforitsownsake,nottoobtainexternalrecognitionoracknowledgement.Forgivenessalsomayleadtopersonalandsocialbenefits.Forgivingresponseshavebeenfound to buffer ill-health by decreasing all static loads and by promotingphysiologicalandpsychologicalhealing.Stressfulinterpersonalrelationshipsareassociatedwithalterationsintheendocrinesystems,thepituitaryglandsand the adrenal hormones, that forgiveness serves a buffering function inminimizingintheharmfuleffectsofthesekindofstress.Theyfoundthatthequality of social relationshipswas predicted by two dispositional attributesthat are trait anger and forgiveness. Forgivenesswith long termbenefits tosocial adjustment, physical health andmental health. Emotional and socialstabilityarepositivelycorrelatedwithdispositionalforgiveness,asagreaterlife satisfaction, self-esteem and more complete recovery from disease.Forgivenessisnegativelycorrelatedwithdetrimentalpersonalityfactorssuchasneuroticism,worry,anxiety,depressionandhostility.Developingthevirtueofforgivenesshasbeenshowntohavebenefitstophysical,mental,emotionalandsocialhealthinindividuals.

According to Scobie and Scobie (1998), negative aspects such asanger,hostilityandresentmentcancausestressand tension in interpersonalrelationships at the workplace. Stress and tension can affect ones physicalandmentalhealth(Lamb,2005).Inordertoreducethisdebilitatingemotion,forgiveness is one aspect that can be considered. Forgiveness is expectedto reduce negative feelings and promote interpersonal peace and harmonywhichisapositivementalstate,whichcanthenbefocusedintoworkrelatedproductivity(Anderson,2007).Stone(2002)explainedthatwhenemployeesandmanagers have an in-depth understanding of the value of forgiveness,it actually provides opportunities to use the mistakes, failures, flaws andbreakdownsoflifeandchangeitpositiveaspectsintermsofgreaterwisdom,compassionandcapabilitywithintheworkersthemselvesandeachother.

Majority of organizations report a sense of injustice, personal andorganizationalinjury,andirreparabledamageasaresultofcutbacks.Almost


allpost-downsizingorganizationsdevelopnegativeinternalattributessuchasdeterioratingmorale,communication,trust,innovation,participativedecisionmakingandflexibility.Atthesametime,theyexperienceincreasesinconflict,rigidity, scapegoat leaders, secretiveness, politicking, fear and short termfocus.Becauseoftheseinternaldysfunctions,organizationalperformanceinareassuchasemployeeturnover,qualityandproductivityalmostalwayssufferas well. The six organizational virtues included dispositional forgiveness,restorationforgiveness,hope,compassion,respectandintegrity.Forgivenessappearstobuffernegativeeffectsandfostersthecapabilitytomoveforward,toputasidefeelingofinjusticeandharm,andtoviewtheorganizationpositively.Although not intended to produce instrumental organizational performance,organizationalvirtuesappearandnevertheless it tobepositivepredictorsofdesiredoutcomes.

Previousresearchesfoundlinksbetweenforgivenessandproductivityafter downsizing, higher morale and satisfaction, trust and caring in arelationship (Cameron and Caza, 2002; McCullough et al., 2003). This isbecause forgiveness can lessen resentment on positive initiatives taken byorganisation such as downsizing, layoffs and restructuring. Furthermore itlessens the negative emotional effect resulting from unjust treatment. Theminimizationofnegativeemotionalfeelingsavoiddistractionofworkersontheircurrentlevelofjobperformance(ButlerandMullis,2001)

Who Managers Need To Forgive

“Wrong can stick like a nettle in thememory, but through forgiveness thenettle can be removed.” The ability to forgive is important for success inmanagement.Forgivenesscanbeamotivationaltransformationthatinclinesmanagerstoinhibitrelationship.Forgivingforthemanagercanbedescribedasahumanresourcesmanagementstrategyandanart.Forgivenessmustbeginpersonallywiththemanagers.So,managersmustbeabletopracticepersonalforgiveness.Mostmanagersholdthemselvesupasrolemodelstoemployeesandstriveforperfection.

Forgiveness cannot occur when personal failure is denied. Whenmanagersdonot dealwith their own failures, theunresolved consequencesofthosefailuresarelikelynotonlytodiminishtheirproductivitybutalsotodestroytheirownsenseofwell-being.

First, the acceptance of personal failures is essential if authenticforgivenessthatcanleadstomorewidespreadhealingistooccur.Amanagerwho is able to practice personal forgivenessmay easily forgive employeeswhentheyhavemademistakes.Ontheotherhandthosemanagersthathave


highpersonalstandardsandbelievethemselvestorarelymakemistakesmaynotbethatforgivable.Insteadtheymayfindthatthemistakesofemployeesasaprovocationtodebilitatinganger.Themostdifficultacttoforgiveareactionsofstaffmemberswhohavesabotagedthemanager’seffectivenessbyrelayingdisparaging remarks about the manager’s competency. This may depletethephysicalandmentalenergiesofall involvedandhindersmutual respectthatmighthave thrived in theworkenvironment.Amanagerwhopracticesforgivenesscanresolvedestructive,alienatingrelationshipsandworktocreateanenvironmentofgoodwillthroughouttheorganization.Inshortsuccessfulmanagers not only learn to confess their humanity but also to forgive theirfellowstaffmembersaswell.

Besides,themanagermustalsobeabletoforgivesupervisorsorthosewithauthority fordecisionsor actions that themanagerfindsunacceptable.Every employee forced to choose between supporting their manager oremployer will not function to their fullest potential and will flounder inconfusionmarkedbydispiritedness.Forthemanager,failuretoforgiveself,employees or administration will lead to lack of productivity and often toaggressiveandpassive-aggressivebehavior.Failuretoforgivealsocanresultinfeelingsofblame,bitternessandguilt.Amanagerwhofeelsguiltyaboutpersonalactionsorfailstoforgiveotherswillbeineffectiveandinterpersonalrelationshipwithstaffwilldeteriorate(Lamb,2005).Furthermore,guiltcanleadtofeelingsofdepressionandpersonalunhappiness.

Creating A Culture Of Forgiveness

The real work of forgiveness begins on the individual level of awareness.Contrary to our constant search for happiness from people and situationsoutsideourselves,nothingandnooneoutsideourselveswilleverbringustruehappiness.Thinkingthattherightjob,therightemployees,therightpartner,therightamountofmoneyorstuffwillbringusthejoyandsatisfactionweseek is adelusion thatkeepsus fromdiscovering realhappinesswhichcanonlycomefromfullyembracingthispreciousmoment.

Whenweforgive,wefreeourselvesfromthefearandanger thatwehaveimposedonourmindsbyholdingontothepast. Thepeoplewhowefeel have betrayed us or let us down becomemirrors for our own growthanddevelopment.Byhavingcompassionforourselveswecanmoredeeplyunderstandtheneeds,desires,fearsandmotivationsofothers.Thiscanbringgreat peace ofmind, reduce stress and lead to greater satisfaction, joy andfulfillmentfromourwork.

Interpersonalrelationshipswillthriveifweletgoofhavingtoberightaboutwhattheotherpersonhasdonewrongandtakethefirststepstowards


creatingmore nurturing relationships. Saying “I’m sorry” is not a sign ofweakness.Ittakesgreatcourageandstrengthofcharactertotakeresponsibilityforcreatinghealinginarelationshipevenwhenthefaultappearstobelongtotheotherparty.Thisisnotaboutfaultorblame.Itisaboutusingthediscontent,angerandletdownsinarelationshiptolearn,grow,setappropriateboundaries,negotiateclearworkingagreementsandresolveunfulfilledexpectationsandmiscommunications.

Whenwe demonstrate forgiveness at the level of team, people feel safe toexpress themselves fully, leading to greater creativity, innovation and risktaking.Peoplewillworkharderandhavecrucial“courageousconservations”because theyfeelrecognizedandappreciated. Theyarewilling toplayfulloutbecausetheyfeelsafetovoicetheirconcernsaswellastheirdreamsandaspirations. Forgivenessleadstoanempoweredandfullyfunctioningworkteam.

Organizations that develop a culture of forgiveness will breed authentic,courageousandopenconservationsbasedontheirvaluesandvisionaswellas the current commitments and strategic objectives. This develops trustsand will build pride in the organization. Customer satisfaction will soarbecause people will bring the quality of joy and satisfaction to their workandcustomers.Peoplewillfindgreatermeaningandvalueintheworktheyaredoing.Inaforgivingorganizationpeoplewillwanttostayandwillworktowards the successof thecompanyand their fellowemployees.Employeeretentionceasestobeanissue.Atruesenseofcommunitywillarisewithintheorganization.

Process Of Creating A Forgiving Culture In An Organisation (Interventions)

Numerous processes of creating a forgiving culture in an organization oralso termed as interventions are discussed in the psychological literature.This section presented some of these studies and notes their application topotential workplace or organizational interventions. However before aprocess in instigated it is important to note that forgiveness interventionsmust acknowledge the implications and complexities of gender, culture,religion,class,andpersonalhistories(Orretal.,2005).VariousresearchersandauthorssuchasAquino,Tripp,&Bies,(2006),extenda“callforaction”for managerial efforts to “reengineer” their organizations “to include aprocedurally just climate” that creates appropriate settings for forgiveness.Someofthesuggestionsmadebyliteratures(Madsenet.al.2006)includethefollowingsixcategories:


1. Third-party interventions: According toStruthersetal. (2005), therearesituationswhereworkerscanbe“encouraged to forgive suchconflicts following third-party interventionsdeveloped to facilitate forgiveness”and that“byhelpingworkersovercomethe potentially debilitating reactions that can arise from conflict with theircoworkers,” forgiveness interventions can help repair damaged workplacerelationshipsandassistinbuildingmorehealthyworkplaces.

2. Social interest interventions: Butler and Mullis (2001) is of the opinion that social interest increasesforgiveness. Therefore organizational development interventions mayencourage the development of social interest, and subsequentlywould alsoinculcateaforgivingculture.Asaresultinterventionssuchasintergroupteam-building, third-party peacemaking, and survey feedback processes, whichfocus on social interest development in organizations, may “also promoteforgivenessasaproblem-solvingstrategyforworkplaceconflict”.

3. Writing and journaling: Writingandjournalingmaybeeffectiveactivitiestoaidinconflictmanagement,conflictresolution,andinterpersonalcommunicationinterventionswithintheworkplace.ProfessionalcounselingavailablethroughanEmployeeAssistanceProgram (EAP) may already be utilizing such methods ultimately asperformanceimprovingtechniques.Landryet.al.(2005)reseerachstudytheinfluenceofwritingandjournalingaboutaninterpersonaloffenseonaperson’smotivationtoforgive.Intheirstudywithundergraduatestudents,theyfoundthat thosewhowroteabout their conflict reported significant improvementsin themanner they reflected on and experienced the interpersonal conflict.Participantswhoverbalizedtheirthoughtsandfeelingsalsoreportedcognitivechanges,improvedunderstandingoftheconflict,andimprovedcopingskills.Landry and her associates cited research that found the benefits ofwritingtendedtopersistandevengrowstrongerovertime.Theyalsofoundthatwhilethefemalegenderbenefitfromwriting,themaleshadbenefitedevenmore.

4. Educational programs: Rodden(1997)discussedvariousdimensionsofforgiveness.Hisframeworkis of steps to be taken towards character education. Interestingly, charactereducationisoftenanimportantcomponentofworkplaceethics traininganddevelopment interventions. He recommends that steps toward forgivenessmustbeaddressed in sucheducationalprograms.HuiandHo (2004) foundthatforgivenesswasa“viableclassroomguidanceprogram”thatdemonstratedstudentimprovementsinforgiveness,self-esteem,andhope.Theydidwarn,however, that short programs (e.g., three or four weeks) are not enoughtime to demonstrate significant changes.Theynoted that group forgivenessinterventions were effective in helping some participants forgive specificindividuals but not others in general. Denton and Martin (1998) argued


that “education about forgiveness is essential in emphasizing the power ofindividualchoice,thepersonalizedaspectsofitsprocess,anditsrealbenefits”(p. 289). Education can empower employees by providing knowledge ofwhatishappeningaswellaspromotingawarenessofthepossiblebiasesandassumptionstheymayhavewhichmayhindertheforgivenessprocess.

5. Forgiveness programs: Hubler(2005)reportedonhisuseofaFamilyForgivenessRitual©,whichhefoundtobeeffectivewithproblemsincurredinfamily-ownedbusinesses.Theoperationofthisinterventionusedindividualcounselingandtheinclusionofamemberoftheclergyselectedbythefamily.Itmustbenotedthatwhilethistypeofinterventionmaybeusefulforasmall,close-knitgroupsuchasafamily,itmaynotbeashelpfulinalargerorganization.thisisanissuethatneededconsideration.Atimemayarisewhenanindividualshouldbereferredtoatherapistforhelpwithangermanagement,whichmightleadtoforgivenesstherapy. Some type of group forgiveness therapy may be appropriate forsituationssuchasamajordownsizingorahostiletakeover.Itwouldappearthattrainingofleadersinmodelingforgivenessaswellasgeneraltraininginconflictresolutionmightbemoreeffective.

6. Empathy-building and communication interventions: McCulloughetal.(2003)researchresultedinthatindividualstendedtohavemoreforbearanceifthetransgressionwasnotsevere,iftheyhadempathywiththetransgressor,andif theydidnothavestrongattributionofresponsibilitytowards the transgressor. While the severity of the transgression may bebeyond the control of management, it would appear that building strongempathyamongemployeeswouldbehelpfulinencouragingforbearanceandforgiveness.Communicationmightalsomitigatetheimpactofresponsibilityattribution,althoughitappearstobeimportantnottomakeexcusesforgenuinetransgressions.Bottometal.(2002)notedthat“acceptingblamemaycreatebetter prospects for future cooperation in short interactions. By admittinga mistake, a person acknowledges their fallibility and may even generateincreasedattraction”(p.510).

Not all of the interventions presented in this paper can be offereddirectlybymanagersinanHRDorhumanresourcesdepartment.However,ifleaders,managers,andHRD/HRprofessionalsareeducatedandawareofthecounselingoptions,theycanprovideemployeeswithappropriatesuggestionsand recommendations for further assistance.For example,manycompaniesoffer employee assistance programs that provide professional counselingfor various emotional issues and stressful situations. The use of EAPs byorganizationshasincreasedinpastyearsasmorebusinessesarefindingthatphysically and mentally healthier employees are more productive. Theseinterventionshaveshownto lead to improvedworkplaceperformanceatalllevels(Madsenet.al.2008).


Conclusion

Theactofforgivenessoftenhasbeenminimizedorignoredbyorganizationalpractitioners. This is unfortunate as researches have indicated the positiveimpactofforgivenessinissueswithinanorganization.Thepowerofforgivenessaffectsindividualandorganisationaloutcomes.Theabilitytoforgivecreateshealthyrelationshipsamongworkforcethattakesawayresentmentandothernegativedebilitatingemotionthatinterferesanddistractworkersawayfromjob performance and work execution. Forgiveness brings positive resultsin organizations. It results in better work relationships, motivating workenvironmentandhighermorale.Managerscanimplementsixprocessesthatcan intervene or assist in creating a forgiving culture in their organization.The processes are third-party interventions, social interest interventions,writingandjournaling,educationalprograms,forgivenessprograms,empathy-buildingandcommunicationinterventions.

Fromtheunderstandingofthepositiveimplicationofforgivenessinanorganization,managersshouldtakestepsindevelopingandcreatethecultureofforgivenessintheworkplacethroughtheundertakingofthevariousprocessdiscussedinthispaper.

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