The Causes and Consequences of Backstabbing in the Public Organizations: A Qualitative Research

Workplace is one of the social interaction places where numerous causes for Misbehavior exists. One of these behavioral patterns is organizational backstabbing. Understanding the causes and consequences and solutions of backstabbing management in organization is important for increasing employee effectiveness and organizational productivity. The purpose of this study is investigating the causes and consequences of backstabbing in the organization and presenting management solutions to prevent this phenomenon. The research method is qualitative. The study population consisted of managers of government organizations in Tehran who were selected by purposeful sampling until reaching theoretical saturation. The interview was used to collect data and data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The results of interviews show four main causes for backstabbing generation; two consequences of backstabbing; three solution for confronting and controlling backstabbing and three moderating factors. Based on these findings, organization and management decisions, environmental factors and individual factors would be the cause of backstabbing experience at workplace. The consequences of backstabbing include personal and organizational consequences. Finally, the recommended strategies to deal with this phenomenon include managerial and organizational solutions and solutions for victims.