The definition of envy is commonly based on psychoanalytical views of
organizational culture. The purpose of this paper is to describe envy
in a nursing community. The population study consisted of random sampl
e of 120 subjects drawn from among the employees of one central hospit
al in Finland. The study material consisted of data collected by quest
ionnaires (response rate 65%). The data were processed by various stat
istical methods. Open-ended questions were analysed by inductive conte
nt analysis. The results of this study indicated that the employee's v
iew of his/her official position in the nursing community, his/her rel
ationships with his/her fellow workers and the management as well as r
elationships with other nursing communities are all related to envy. T
he employee's view of his/her official position intensified his/her fe
elings of envy, if he/she had other negative feelings, anxiety, dissat
isfaction with him/herself, and negative feelings towards fellow worke
rs. The major object of envy was fellow workers' salaries. Envy toward
s other nursing communities was generated by alleged differences in th
e amount of labour, or by the charge nurse's greater interest in other
sections. Employees coped with envy by hiding these feelings and bein
g modest. Women coped with envy by being silent, while men denied the
value of the object of envy.