Workplace cynicism comes in many different forms and appears to have increased in recent years in light of mass layoffs, mergers, and corporate scandals. business (Anderson, 1996). In 1991, Mirvis and Kanter reported that 43% of American workers demonstrated a very cynical attitude toward work. The popularity of the Dilbert comic strip further indicates the prevalence of cynicism in today's workplace (Dean, Brandes, & Dharkwadkar, 1998). A Google search for "workplace cynicism" produced 408,000 results, including a segment on NPR from May 2007 discussing the topic of cynicism. The presenter half-jokingly remarked that General Motors employees had good reason to be cynical about factory closings and the loss of more than 30,000 jobs. The question arises whether cynicism in the workplace must inevitably follow the decline of corporate America, and whether there are factors that can positively influence cynicism. Information from opinion polls paints a mixed picture. Gallup (2007) reported that only 18% of Americans had a lot or a fair amount of confidence in large businesses in 2007, a steady decline since the high point of 33% in 1977 and 30% in 1999, which would support confidence in large companies. an increase in organizational cynicism. However, Gallup also reported that workers' overall satisfaction with their workplace in 2007 was quite high. 56% of American workers are satisfied with their job security and 60% are completely or somewhat satisfied with their supervisors (Gallup, 2007). Likewise, the percentage of workers who were somewhat or completely dissatisfied was only 6% in August 2007, compared to 14% in August 2005 (Gallup, 2007). Does this increase in satisfaction mean that there will be a corresponding...... middle of article ......view I attempted to answer the question of whether cynicism on the workplace in its various forms can be positively influenced or even avoided by organizations, or whether it is an inevitable result of the decline of American business. Professional cynicism can potentially be curbed by reducing working hours, increasing salaries, and providing more support to professions that appear particularly hard hit. Leaders and managers can take steps to prevent organizational cynicism and organizational change cynicism from taking hold in an organization, leading to negative consequences for the organization and the individual. Organizations could adopt more participatory decision-making processes, respect principles of distributive justice, and commit to communicating openly and honestly as a first step to counteracting some of the negative consequences of cynicism in the workplace..