Ryan, K. D., & Oestreich D. K.
(1991).
Driving Fear Out of the Workplace: How to Overcome the Invisible Barriers to Quality, Productivity, and Innovation.
"The loss of credibility and reputation is most commonly expressed as a fear of being labeled. Words like 'troublemaker', 'boat rocker', and 'unprofessional' worry people. They convey poor judgment, last a long time, and lead to other, more tangible repercussions. These words imply that an individual is acting in bad faith and operating against the interests of the organization. They connote being an outsider. Many see that being labeled 'not a team player' is the beginning of a downward cycle where duties start to change and performance ratings decline. These events, in turn, influence career opportunities, raises, and bonuses, and can possibly lead to layoffs or transfers. In many organizations, the concept of the 'hit list' represents the extreme outcome of fears about being labeled." (p. 44)