The relationship of work orientation to vulnerability to the consequences of mobbing
is interesting to consider because the extent to which a target is physically and psychologically
affected by mobbing is a function of his or her attitude about work. In my
professional experience, targets with a career orientation typically experience considerably
more distress and disability that those with other work orientations. Because their
personal–professional identity is so closely tied to their work, targets with career orientations
seem to view the abusive attacks of others and particularly the threat of or actual
job loss as an invalidation of their personal–professional identity.