Coercion is the act of forcing someone to do something against their will, often through threats, intimidation or abuse of power. It's a tactic used by bad actors to manipulate others into compliance, and is unfortunately all too common in the tech industry and beyond.

How to use it in a sentence

"I thought my boss was just passionate about the project, but after he threatened to fire me if I didn't work 80 hour weeks, I realized it was straight up coercion."

"The startup's culture of 'voluntary' all-nighters and weekend work is textbook coercion - everyone knows their job is on the line if they don't comply."

If you actually want to learn more...

• The Stanford Prison Experiment infamously demonstrated how readily people will resort to coercion and abuse when given power over others. Learn more in this harrowing summary: The Stanford Prison Experiment: A Simulation Study of the Psychology of Imprisonment

• This academic paper explores how coercion and other unethical tactics are used by tech companies to manipulate users and maintain market dominance: The Coercive Practices of Big Tech

• Harvard Business Review examines how even well-intentioned leaders can inadvertently create coercive environments through unreasonable demands and lack of empathy: The Fine Line Between a High-Performance Culture and a

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