Service sabotage by front line employees: A study of antecedents and consequences

This paper examines the influence of five antecedents of service sabotage by frontline customer-contact personnel. Using a survey-based approach, the authors collected data from 150 respondents working in the front line service settings. Regression analysis showed that only employees' risk-taking proclivity and their perceptions of the extent of surveillance were significant predictors of sabotage. Other antecedents (employees' need for social approval, perceptions of the extent of employee-customer contact and labour market fluidity) were not significant contributors. This study will help the services sector to minimise deviant behaviour at the workplace.