Scapegoats at Work - by John M Dyckman & Joseph A Cutler (Hardcover)

About the Book

Scapegoating is the identification--then blaming and punishing--of individuals for problems that rightly belong to the larger organization. Dyckman and Cutler offer a survival guide for people affected by workplace scapegoating. They show us the social and psychological roots of scapegoating and explain how the individual and system act together to enable this human drama. This book shows how both individuals and the workplace system contribute to scapegoating. This book follows the career of the scapegoat and presents ways that the pattern can be interrupted. Strategies to help remove the bull's-eye include understanding how to recognize scapegoating and break behavioral patterns that make one an attractive target. Also provided is information for workers and managers who wish to develop cooperative means of dealing with individual differences, creating a work environment that is more humane and efficient.

People who feel victimized by work-related scapegoating will find this book of great interest, as will professionals working in human resources or employee assistance programs. It will help managers who have problem employees and want to improve workflow, reduce turnover, and reduce workers' comp claims. This clear and concise compendium of examples, tips, and strategies will also appeal to mediators, shop stewards, union officials, psychotherapists, and occupational medicine specialists.

Book Synopsis

Scapegoating is the identification--then blaming and punishing--of individuals for problems that rightly belong to the larger organization. Dyckman and Cutler offer a survival guide for people affected by workplace scapegoating. They show us the social and psychological roots of scapegoating and explain how the individual and system act together to enable this human drama. This book shows how both individuals and the workplace system contribute to scapegoating. This book follows the career of the scapegoat and presents ways that the pattern can be interrupted. Strategies to help remove the bull's-eye include understanding how to recognize scapegoating and break behavioral patterns that make one an attractive target. Also provided is information for workers and managers who wish to develop cooperative means of dealing with individual differences, creating a work environment that is more humane and efficient.

People who feel victimized by work-related scapegoating will find this book of great interest, as will professionals working in human resources or employee assistance programs. It will help managers who have problem employees and want to improve workflow, reduce turnover, and reduce workers' comp claims. This clear and concise compendium of examples, tips, and strategies will also appeal to mediators, shop stewards, union officials, psychotherapists, and occupational medicine specialists.

Review Quotes

"Clear writing and clear thinking make this an unusually useful book for anyone working with other people. The authors take us step by step through an understanding of scapegoating and on to strategies to oppose it. Their psychological sharpness unfolds in a textured sense of the social world--the place we all really live and struggle."-Eric Greenleaf, Ph.D. author of "The Problem of Evil"

"Offers an understanding of how and why we blame and creates the challenge to change our values to produce a far better environment to operate in and be successful....This is a must read for all HR Professionals that would like to participate in a successful performance-based organization."-Bob Redlo, Director, Human Resources Department Kaiser Medical Center

"The sound research, convincing evidence and real life examples reported in the book will give you the tools to avoid becoming a target...I wish this book had been available years ago: it would have saved countless individuals and organizations a lot of needless pain and wasted time."-Isabella Conti, Ph.D., management consultant and co-author of "From Power to Partnership"

"This book addresses an all-too-common yet rarely discussed workplace phenomenon--scapegoating. Based on their work with casualties of this painful experience, Dyckman and Cutler offer a lucid, engaging, and practical guide through the unfamiliar and treacherous terrain of office politics and power dynamics. Scapegoats at Work can save your job and your sanity."-Thomas Herington, MD. Kaiser Permanente Occupational Health Services

About the Author

JOHN M. DYCKMAN is a psychotherapist at a large Health Maintenance Organization. He has been a professor of psychology, has conducted research and has run a private clinical practice for the past 25 years.

JOSEPH A. CUTLER is a psychotherapist at a large Health Maintenance Organization and in private practice. He has taught university classes in marriage and family counseling and has worked as an Employee Assistance Counselor.