Blamestorming Is Real! Just Ask Tricky Dick

Blamestorms, unlike thunderstorms, can be described by a single simple equation. In the case of blamestorms, or environments in whi

ch everyone has a finger pointed at another, it goes like this:

Monkey see = monkey do.

After watching one person blame another person for something the first one did, some people are more likely to carry on the practice. That is, bearing false witness can be a trigger for other people to cover up their own misdeeds with a scapecoat.

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Researchers at USC Marshall School of Business and Stanford University found that blaming, naturally, is more likely to happen when someone with low self-esteem perceives their self-image is being attacked.

What’s surprising is how rapidly a culture of blaming sets up after people witness the original cravenness. Others are likely to feel their own self-image is under attack just by witnessing the act of blaming.

The researchers’ report singles out the Nixon Administration as a great example of finger-pointing, and how it can render organizations less effective or even tear it apart.

Download a PDF of the report.