Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold : Avengers' Accounts of Calculated Revenge Cognitions and Assessment of a Proposed Measure

Evidence suggests that revenge in the workplace can be quot;cool and calculated.quot; That is, some employees plan to quot;get evenquot; before doing so, consider different options for revenge and the consequences of those options, and carefully plan their revenge. In Study 1, we conducted interviews with individuals who engaged in revenge at work. Most avengers described having thoughts about revenge that were calculated in nature. In Study 2, we assessed a proposed measure of calculated revenge cognitions by examining its factor structure, and evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. Results provided considerable support for the proposed measure (e.g., it correlated with revenge attitudes, negative reciprocity endorsement, negative affectivity, agreeableness, and honesty-humility). We discuss the implications for theory, research, and practice