Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
PhD in Business Management, Department of Business Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran & Department of Management, University College of Nabi Akram, Tabriz, Iran
2
Department of Management, Abarar Institute of Higher Education, Tehran, Iran
3
Department of Business Administration, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.48308/jcoc.2026.242875.1549
Abstract
Objective: Organizational Stockholm Syndrome emerges when employees, under sustained exposure to chronic pressure, structural injustice, and authoritarian leadership, gradually develop a cognitive and emotional attachment to the very source of their distress and may even begin to defend it. The purpose of this study is to explore bank employees’ lived experiences of Organizational Stockholm Syndrome and to propose two conceptual models: a pathology model and a coping strategies model.
Method: This study is fundamental in purpose and qualitative in nature, employing a descriptive phenomenological approach. Participants consisted of 15 employees and middle managers from public and private banks, selected through purposive and snowball sampling based on the principle of theoretical saturation.
Findings: Data analysis led to the identification of one core theme and six main themes, including structural pressure, rationalization of abuse, defensive silence, ethical conflict, unintended attachment, and defense of harmful organizational structures. In addition, five lived coping themes aimed at reducing unhealthy dependency were identified.
Conclusion: Organizational Stockholm Syndrome represents a convergence of structural pressure, abusive practices, job insecurity, and ethical suspension, which collectively push employees toward survival-oriented mechanisms. The proposed models can facilitate early identification of this phenomenon and support the design of effective preventive and corrective interventions.
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