kick-the-dog effect

The angry behaviour shown by a person when he has to accept all blame and he cannot shift it to anybody else because he is in the lowest rung of hierarchy in his organization. This happens when a boss, who is to blame, shifts the blame to his junior, who, in turn, passes it to his junior and so on till the blame reaches the lowest-ranked staff, who cannot pass it to anybody else. Then he goes home and takes it out on his dog by kicking it about.

Angry at having to bear the blame for no fault of his, the peon came back home in the evening and kicked his dog repeatedly. A kick-the-dog effect, isn't it?

8👍 7👎