Social Undermining in Public Sector Organizations: Examining its Effects on Employees’ Work Attitudes, Behaviors, and Performance

Social undermining involves covertly negative behaviors aiming to impede individual’s ability to achieve work-related goals and success and ruin positive relationships and reputations (Duffy et al., 2002); however, the role that undermining behaviors plays in governmental workplaces remain poorly understood. Using data from 14,515 U.S. federal employees, this article tests the impacts of social undermining on employees’ work attitudes and outcomes. After controlling for individual and contextual predictors, being undermined at work was associated with increased levels of job stress and decreased levels of job satisfaction and commitment. Additionally, experiencing undermining behaviors can lower individual productivity and boost turnover intent.