Petty tyranny

Short description: Authority exercised by a leader in a limited environment and gained through illicit means

Petty tyranny[1] (or petty authority, petty dictator or petty power) is authority exercised by a leader, usually one unchosen by the led, in a relatively limited or an intimate environment, such as that exercised by a fellow peer of a social group. It is a pejorative term, that carries with it a sense of authority that was gained, or is used, in an unfair or capricious manner.

Ashforth discussed potentially destructive sides of leadership and identified petty tyrants, i.e. leaders who exercise a tyrannical style of management, resulting in a climate of fear in the workplace.[1] He proposed the following six characteristics to define petty tyranny:[2][3]

1. arbitrariness and self-aggrandizement
2. belittling of subordinates
3. lack of consideration for others
4. a forcing style of conflict resolution
5. discouragement of initiative
6. use of punishment: punishment (e.g. displeasure or criticism) allotted without discernible or consistent principles.

## See also

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Petty Tyranny in Organizations, Ashforth, Blake, Human Relations, Vol. 47, No. 7, 755-778 (1994)
2. ↑ S Alexander Haslam (2004). Psychology in Organizations. SAGE. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-7619-4231-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=XPCdpv2nwmYC&pg=PA142.
3. ↑ Ronald E. Rice; Stephen D. Cooper (2010). Organizations and Unusual Routines: A Systems Analysis of Dysfunctional Feedback Processes. Cambridge University Press. p. 287. ISBN 978-0-521-76864-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=iJVmQRKH5PQC&pg=PA287.

## Further reading

* Blake Ashforth (2003). "Petty Tyranny in Organizations". Organizational Influence Processes (2nd ed.). M.E. Sharpe. pp. 151–171. ISBN 978-0-7656-1134-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=dxCjoSU4MnwC&pg=PA151.

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