Fear is defined as a normal reaction to a real or imagined threat and is an integral and adaptive aspect of development. Individuals react to fear during moments of social, political, and economic upheaval like those in recent years. But how do collective groups manifest and respond to the internal and external factors that promote fear? More pointedly, how do working professionals experience a long-term, organizational culture of fear? To respond to these questions, this chapter will offer new perspectives on how fear is operationalized in the workplace. By interpreting the role of fear in common workplace norms like feedback, collaboration, management, and hiring, we offer a better understanding of how organizational culture might promote the negative consequences of fear: avoidance, withdrawal, and physical/emotional pain.
Part of the book: Organizational Behavior