Service sabotage: an examination of selected antecedent and outcome variables in high-contact organizations

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to explore selected antecedent and outcome variables of employee dysfunctional behavior directed at customers in a high-contact service environment. The linkages among customer mistreatment, service sabotage, and competitive performance of an employing organization were examined. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach was adopted, based on a self-administered online survey. Data were collected from 144 food service employees in Poland. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to test the proposed research model. Findings: The results demonstrate that both work-related and person-related mistreatment by customers contribute to service sabotage. Service sabotage in turn leads to deterioration of competitive performance of a food service establishment. Research limitations/implications: The study adopted a cross-sectional design, which makes the direction of causality open to debate. Also, the data collection was based on the non-random sampling technique and the sample size was relatively small, which limits generalization of the findings beyond the specific context of this research. Practical implications: From a managerial perspective, the confirmed relationships stress the importance of preventive measures to be taken to reduce the adverse effects of dysfunctional customer behavior on employee behavior and competitive performance of an employing organization. Originality/value: The present research furthers the understandings of antecedents of service sabotage and its effects on service organization’s performance.