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Social Justice Research

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01-03-2007

A Vigilante Model of Justice: Revenge, Reconciliation, Forgiveness, and Avoidance

Authors: Thomas M. Tripp, Robert J. Bies, Karl Aquino

Published in: Social Justice Research | Issue 1/2007

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Abstract

Once a working relationship is damaged through an act of injustice, how do the victim and offender repair their relationship? What causes the victim to let go of the anger and resentment and then reconcile with the offender? We propose a theory that the likelihood of forgiveness and reconciliation is greatly enhanced, and revenge and avoidance greatly decreased, if justice is first served. That is, forgiveness follows justice; without justice, forgiveness is much less likely. Justice may be served one of three ways: (1) by the victim evening the score; (2) by the organization punishing the offender; or (3) by the offender repenting. We recommend that managers establish a procedurally just climate so that victims of offense seek distributive justice through formal channels rather than seeking it themselves through revenge.

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Thus, a high motivation for revenge does not always lead to revenge, which is why we separate ‘motivation for revenge’ from ‘revenge’ in our model.

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Title: A Vigilante Model of Justice: Revenge, Reconciliation, Forgiveness, and Avoidance
Authors: Thomas M. Tripp
Robert J. Bies
Karl Aquino
Publication date: 01-03-2007
Publisher: Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers
Published in: Social Justice Research / Issue 1/2007
Print ISSN: 0885-7466
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6725
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-007-0030-3

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