Organizational cynicism

Abstract

In the organizational behavior literature, organizational cynicism, because of its detrimental effects, is generally considered to be conceptually distinct from the other organizational outcomes. In recent years, organizational cynicism, for its negative effects on human resources and capital, has become very popular. Despite such popularity, there is still a lack of a more exclusive understanding of cynicism. Since organizations expect and demand more and more from their employees and really provide little in return, employee cynicism seems inevitable. This chapter has reviewed the literature on cynicism to define and classify cynicism; summarize its theoretical foundations, antecedents and consequences; and advise ways to alleviate its effects for the sake of personal and organizational efficiency and performance. The main focus is to understand why employees turn cynical toward their organizations, and what triggers their cynical attitudes and behaviors, and what the consequences of their cynicism are.