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Employee Betrayal and Workplace Sabotage: Implications for Production and Operations Management Efficiency

Wokoma, Harcourt Opubo PhD, Korubo-Fi, Alexandra Idaere PhD

Abstract

Employee betrayal and workplace sabotage are hidden but significant threats to organizational performance. While production and operations management research has traditionally emphasized process and technological efficiency, the behavioral dimensions of operational disruptions remain underexplored. This paper develops a conceptual framework that theorizes the relationship between betrayal, sabotage, and operational efficiency by integrating Psychological Contract Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and the Theory of Constraints. The findings reveal five core insights: (1) employee betrayal originates from breaches of psychological contracts; (2) workplace sabotage is an escalation of betrayal and reflects retaliatory behaviors; (3) sabotage acts as a human constraint, disrupting efficiency and creating operational bottlenecks; (4) theoretical integration highlights the escalation process from psychological breach to systemic inefficiency; and (5) managerial interventions such as trust-building, transparent communication, and grievance management are critical in mitigating sabotage risks. The paper contributes theoretically by reframing sabotage as a behavioral bottleneck within operations management and practically by offering strategies to safeguard efficiency. It concludes by calling for empirical research to validate the model and test its applicability across industries and cultural contexts.

Keywords

Employee betrayal; Workplace sabotage; Production and operations management; Psychological contract; Social exchange theory; Theory of constraints; Operational efficiency

References

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