Organizational science profits from taking new perspectives using a simple model to understand why behaviors of particular types occur within them. This volume provides readers with a rich source of casestudies and empirical studies of the role played by the interaction between individual actors, organizational contexts, and the actual behaviors being performed the actors. These chapters each seek to describe how these three interact in to create organizational practices with negative effects on either internal members of the organization or external stakeholders (e.g,. clients). The chapters provide insight into how organizations may control these negative behaviors with basic Human Resource Management practices. It is this volume’s hope that these chapters may provide insight into the important role these three factors plays in understanding negative organizational behavior within organizations across the world.

Modern corporations, like the mythical hero Oedipus Rex, are afflicted by a refusal to acknowledge the truth that is almost psychopathic. This is according to Leon Gettler, who argues in Organisations Behaving Badly that the spirit of this Greek king to turn a blind eye to the bleeding obvious, is indicative of how many national and international corporations run their empires. This fascinating, and at times humorous exploration of big business, parallels Greek mythology. Like a chief executive confronted with news that threatens the established order, not to mention his job, Oedipus flies into a rage and begins to accuse his brother-in-law, Creon, of plotting to overthrow him. You get the picture? With fascinating and insightful explorations into such organisations as HIH, OneTel, Parmalat, James Hardie and even the role of the Church and the education system, Leon Gettler leaves no stone unturned and sets out to prove that organisations have been behaving badly since ancient civilisation. Leon Gettler is the Economics staff writer at The Age.

Behaving Badly: Ethical Lessons from Enron puts the reader in the shoes of Enron executives through the journey of the once prominent and now infamous company. Enron began as a newly merged firm in 1985 with too much debt, rose on Wall Street during the 1990s, and collapsed in December 2001. This is the first book to treat Enron's financial problems as complex ethical issues managers may face daily - often without recognizing them as such. Key decisions are presented in real-time from several perspectives, including those of Lay, Skilling, Fastow, board members, auditors, lawyers, and investment bankers. The seemingly simple question readers are asked to consider is: What would you have done, had you been employed by, or doing business with, Enron? Readers can debate their answers with colleagues. Award winning business ethics professor Denis Collins also provides advice on creating and sustaining an ethical culture in any company, offering a decision-making tool and framework that managers can use to intentionally steer their company away from the road Enron traveled. Book jacket.

When Leadership Fails is a critical examination of the worst workplace experiences for the purpose of individual, group and organizational learning. Professionals from various industries unpack personal encounters associated with a range of toxic leadership behaviors, using theory, these examples are turned into critical lessons.

This volume challenges understandings of organizational misbehavior looking beyond traditional conceptions of the nexus between misbehavior and resistance in the workplace. The volume includes a contribution from Stephen Ackroyd and adds to the emerging body of evidence that disturbs assumptions of consensus and conformity in organizations.