When individuals experience unfair treatment in the workplace, they may feel anger or resentment. A new Canadian study reveals that such injustice can also heighten one's sense of taste, providing further evidence that psychological stress can produce physiological effects.
On the 13th, the University of British Columbia reported that researchers from its Sauder School of Business conducted a series of investigations. They discovered that experiencing unfair treatment at work heightens taste bud sensitivity, leading to more intense flavor perceptions. These findings will be published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
In the first experiment, participants were asked to recall experiences of fair or unfair treatment at work. They were then asked to rate the intensity of the taste of the same food after eating it. The results showed that those who recalled experiencing unfair treatment rated the intensity of the food's taste 10% higher than those who recalled fair treatment.
In the second experiment, participants watched an office-themed television drama. Similarly, those exposed to scenes depicting overt workplace injustice scored their taste intensity 10% higher than the control group.
Researchers suggest that stress influences how people perceive the world. These findings indicate interpersonal injustice can induce physiological effects.
So how can we regulate our emotions and recover quickly when facing such injustices?
One saying goes: "It's not the events themselves that trouble us, but our perception of them!" Human distress stems from both external events and internal psychological resistance. There are two corresponding coping strategies: external action to change the situation—such as leaving an unfair environment and starting anew in a place perceived as fair—or internal adjustment to accept the circumstances.However, the core of any organization is the enterprise, and the core of an enterprise is its team. Each team member has distinct responsibilities. From an organizational structure perspective, this inherently unequal distribution of weight is a form of imbalance. For instance, while sales departments can clearly quantify "more work, more pay," departments like administration or human resources are harder to measure objectively. If one insists on absolute fairness, perhaps they aren't suited for corporate life. Does becoming a freelancer guarantee fairness everywhere?Clearly not. Therefore, the second approach to addressing this dilemma—adjusting one's mindset—becomes crucial. Face unfairness with a positive attitude, enhance your capabilities, and strengthen yourself. This will reduce the likelihood of encountering unfairness in the future.
The workplace is rife with perceived inequities. When confronting these so-called disproportionalities or injustices, it's crucial to investigate them based on industry expectations—not personal valuations. The workplace emphasizes value exchange: if your contributions align with the company's needs, they hold measurable worth; otherwise, they do not.Consider this scenario: an employee with three years of service sees no promotion, while a new colleague secures one after just one year. To the veteran, this seems profoundly unfair. Yet to HR, it may be entirely reasonable—the company evaluates based on capability, not tenure.
If, after reasonable consideration, you determine you have indeed faced unfair treatment, do not remain silent. Attempt to communicate with your direct supervisor or a third party like HR, clearly expressing what you perceive as unfair and what you expect to be fair. Crucially, avoid bypassing your supervisor to "appeal your case" to higher-ups, as this bypassing itself constitutes unfairness toward your direct leader.If the unfairness persists after communication, only two options remain: accept it or change it. Change itself comes in two forms: you can choose to stay and fight for your rights, or decisively leave to seek a better place.
In the workplace, encountering one or two instances of unfairness is inevitable and understandable. Facing four or five such instances warrants considering a change of environment. However, perceiving unfairness everywhere indicates a problem with oneself.Additionally, from the perspective of corporate hiring systems, companies often operate under the assumption that lower-level employees are inherently flawed, resulting in stricter rules and more frequent penalties. Conversely, for mid-to-senior-level employees, companies embrace the belief in human goodness, implementing more incentive-based policies that are inherently more humane. Therefore, professionals seeking to reduce their exposure to unfairness would be wise to actively improve themselves and strive for promotion.