Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T14:08:28.330Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Psychology of Social Undermining in Organisational Behaviour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2014

Luke Strongman
Luke Strongman*
Affiliation:
Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
*
address for correspondence: Luke Strongman, PhD, Social Sciences, Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, Private Bag 31914, Lower Hutt, 5040, New Zealand. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to define ‘social undermining’ and to discuss its causes and effects within an organisational context. Central to social undermining is the effect of moral disengagement, which is the main precursor to the manifestation of social undermining in personal and professional behaviours. Possible causes and motivations for the social undermining of others and behavioural symptoms in its victims are examined. Reasons for why social undermining is important for organisations, employees, and the effect of it on workplace behaviours within organisations are then explored. Employee and organisational reputation are discussed in the context of social undermining as a workplace stressor and as existing on a continuum of supportive and/or derogative workplace behaviours.

Keywords

social underminingorganisational behaviourmoral disengagement
Type
Articles
Information
The Australasian Journal of Organisational Psychology , Volume 6 , 2013 , e3
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Crossley, C.D. (2009). Emotional and behavioural reactions to social undermining: A closer look at perceived offender motives. Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes, 108 (1), 14–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duffy, M.K., Ganster, D.C., & Pagon, M. (2002). Social undermining in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 45 (2), 331–351.Google Scholar
Duffy, M.K., Scott, K.L., Shaw, J.D., Tepper, B.J., & Aquino, K. (2012). A social context of envy and social undermining. Academy of Management Journal, 55 (3), 643–666.Google Scholar
Finch, J.F. (1998). Social undermining, support satisfaction, and affect: A domain-specific lagged effects model. Journal of Personality, 66 (3), 315–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenbaum, R.L., Eissa, G., & Mawritz, M.B. (2012). Bottom-line mentality as an antecedent of social undermining and the moderating roles of core self-evaluations and conscientiousness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97 (2), 343–359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harris, L.T., Cikara, M., & Fiske, S.T. (2008). Envy, as predicted by the stereotype model: A volatile ambivalence. In Smith, R. (Ed.), Envy: Theory and research (pp. 133–147). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hepburn, G.C., & Enns, J.R. (2013). Social undermining and well-being: The role of communal orientation. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 28 (4), 354–366.Google Scholar
Joseph, N.T., Myers, H.F., Schettino, J.R., Olmos, N.T., Bingham-Mira, C., Lesser, I.M., & Poland, R.E. (2011). Support and undermining in interpersonal relationships are associated with symptom improvement in a trial of antidepressant medication. Psychiatry, 74 (3), 240–254.Google Scholar
Mackert, M., Stanforth, D., & Garcia, A.A. (2011). Undermining of nutrition and exercise decisions: Experiencing negative social influence. Public Health Nursing, 28 (5), 402–410.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, R.H., & Kim, S.H. (2007). Comprehending envy. Psychological Bulletin, 133 (1), 46–64.Google Scholar
Vecchio, R.P. (1995). It's not easy being green: Jealousy and envy in the workplace. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 13, 201–244.Google Scholar
Vinokur, A.D., & van Ryn, M. (1993). Social support and undermining in close relationships: Their independent effects on the mental health of unemployed persons. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 350–359.Google Scholar
Vinokur, A.D., Price, R.H., & Caplan, R.D. (1996). Hard times and hurtful partners: How financial strain affects depression and relationship satisfaction of unemployed persons and their spouses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71 (1), 166–179.Google Scholar
Wood, J.V. (1996). What is social comparison and how should we study it? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 520–537.Google Scholar