Abuse of Good Will: The Anatomy of Emotional Manipulation in Professional Relationships

Professional relationships contain not only functional, but also the emotional and social components of modern business life. When the limits of these relationships become uncertain, positive emotions such as sincerity and trust can turn into the ground of emotional manipulation over time. This study examines the emotional manipulation forms under the guise of friendship at work with a literature -based approach. The definition of emotional manipulation, social impact theories, psychological contract violations and organizational consequences are considered as multidimensional. In particular, the effects of trust, border violations, social borrowing and passive-aggressive attitudes on the employee have been analyzed. Findings show that emotional manipulation leads to loss of psychological safety in employees, burnout and weakening in organizational commitment. In addition, it has been pointed out how these manipulative relationships pose a threat in terms of corporate ethical and professional limits. In the light of literature, the proposed institutional measures support both individual awareness and organizational health. This study emphasizes the importance of healthy boundaries and ethical communication in professional relations, making the phenomenon of “abuse of goodwill” in the workplace visible.