Identifying and Prioritizing the Antecedents and Consequences of Social Undermining in Organizations Through Fuzzy Delphi Method

This study tried to identify and explain the antecedents and consequences of social undermining among the mangers and professors of Lorestan province universities using Fuzzy Delphi approach. The study was a comparative-deductive mixed-methods study. It was applied, descriptive, and survey in terms of purpose, nature, and method, respectively. The statistical population was comprised of the managers and professors of Lorestan Province universities, from among whom 30 experts were selected using purposive sampling based on theoretical saturation. To collect data in the qualitative phase of the study, semi-structured interviews were used whose validity and reliability were confirmed through content analysis and Cohen’s Kappa. Moreover, to collect data in the quantitative phase, a pairwise comparison questionnaire was employed whose validity and reliability was confirmed via content validity and test-retest methods. In the qualitative phase, the data obtained from interviews was analyzed using Atlas.ti software and the antecedents and consequences of social undermining were identified. Moreover, in the quantitative phase of the study, fuzzy Delphi method was employed to prioritize the antecedents and consequences of organizational social undermining. This way, the most important factors and consequences were identified. The results of the study indicated that refraining to provide information to others in order to carry out their duties, preventing others to communicate with each other, treating colleagues coldly, and disdaining others are the most important antecedents of organizational social undermining. Moreover, the results revealed that organizational contempt, psychological pressure, and lack of job satisfaction are the main consequences of organizational social undermining.