Reduced self-worth: an investigation of why and when coworker undermining facilitates employee interpersonal deviance

Abstract

Purpose This study investigates why and when undermined employees exhibit deviant behavior toward coworkers. Drawing upon social exchange theory, coworker undermining reduces employee organization-based self-esteem (OBSE), which in turn, fosters employee negative reciprocal behavior in the form of interpersonal deviance. In addition, this study examines the moderating role of relational-interdependent self-construal (RISC) in affecting the indirect effect. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a two-wave survey. Participants were 316 employees of a service company in western China. Ordinary least squares regressions were used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings Coworker undermining is positively related to employee interpersonal deviance, mediated by decreased employee OBSE. In addition, this indirect relationship is more salient for employees with a higher than lower RISC. Originality/value This study suggests that employee OBSE serves as an explanation for why coworker undermining leads to employees’ antagonistic consequences. Furthermore, this study highlights the boundary-condition role of RISC in the influence process.