Power and Forgiveness in Interpersonal Relationships

Abstract

Forgiveness is universally recognized to be a virtue. Yet there is little empirical work on the topic in organization scholarship. In light of the negative effects of power, one may expect that when harmed by lower power transgressors, high power actors may be more vengeful. The power literature also suggests that people interpret high power actors? actions more benignly compared to low power actors? actions. Thus, transgressors may evaluate forgiveness from the powerful more favorably. My dissertation studies the paradox of powerful actors? forgiveness: the inconsistency between what high power actors actually do (descriptive) and what they should do in response to transgressions (normative). Specifically, my research questions are as follows: Will high power actors be less forgiving when transgressed upon? If high power victims forgive, how will transgressors perceive and respond to a forgiveness gesture? I examine these two questions through a combination of surveys, scenarios, and laboratory studies.