As a corporate professional I’ve encountered a sequence of behaviors on more than one occasion indicative of an active cognitive dissonance in the workplace. As it would turn out this revelation is not the phenomenon you may think it is. Cognitive dissonance can be a salient part of a workplace to the point where this one experience can have immense consequences. Cognitive dissonance is a psychology term that refers to the experience of holding and grappling with conflicting information and or beliefs. When you have cognitive dissonance you struggle with taking a stance within the context of two opposing ideas.
In a professional setting this can look like an unbalanced boss and subordinate relationship where the boss struggles with maintaining the dignity of his authority, because he also has an affinity for his employees. Or, an employee that forgets himself and when given an inch thinks he’s reinforced to take a mile. The idea of a human resources department at a place you work is cognitive dissonance inducing enough itself. An HR department usually consists of individuals who are capable of fostering the dignity and mission of an organization, while also upholding a standard for everyone in the organization.
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