Understanding and contending with passive‐aggressive behaviour in teams and organizations

Managers and consultants have reported that they frequently encounter situations in which individual members of an organization exude an attitude of muted hostility and non‐compliance to a change process. This obstructive behaviour can take an indirect form and be masked by a veneer of apparent co‐operation, smiles and seemingly correct behaviour. When this phenomenon is encountered it can be defined “passive‐aggressive behaviour”. In this article, we examine this type of behaviour from both the clinical and the more pragmatic/operational perspectives in order to bring more understanding and clarity to the concept. We discuss its impact in teams, organizations and in the field of organizational change. Our concluding section sets out a framework or intervention approach which the manger, consultant and trainer might find useful in dealing with this type of behaviour as well as with truculent, avoidant and hostile behaviours.