Sadomasochism, human aggression, and the problem of workplace mobbing and bullying: A commentary.

This article addresses the challenges of mobbing and bullying in the workplace by focusing on 4 intersecting problems arising from the efforts to “diagnose and treat” this form of aberrant behavior in contemporary organizations. These include the need to understand mobbing and bullying as a manifestation of the universal human psychodynamic pattern of sadomasochism; the question of the appropriateness and value of applying the “health metaphor” to human organizations and the associated challenge of the rescue fantasies of practitioners; the likelihood of success of legal proscriptions against such behaviors; and the eternal need for developing effective managers. Several suggestions are offered to consulting practitioners for improving their ability to help client organizations address such challenges. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)