False Face Must Hide What the False Heart Doth Know: Review and Model of Workplace Microaggression

Abstract

Microaggression contains elements of workplace aggression, bullying, incivility, stigmatization, and ostracism. We argue that studies of the phenomenon should be broadened to cover all workplace members. Anyone with distinctly different ascribed status, physical and/or psychological characteristics from the mainstream may be subjected to negative micro-acts. We address two questions of concern: Why microaggression has not been recognized to be as problematic in “normalized” work settings as with bullying and harassment, and how workers exposed to such micro-aggressive acts might respond. Theories of signal detection and coordinated management of meaning are used to explain how targets attribute the reasons for these negative acts, and manage to either mitigate or prevent them. We suggest ways of reducing the prevalence of microaggression by coordinating the management of meaning between the perceiver-as-target and the perpetrator. This leads to adaptive coping (Marrs, 2012) and fosters supportive workplace climates (Kim et al., 2018). Implications for workplace practices and policies are provided.