Classifying, identifying and managing the service brand saboteur

Elaine Wallace and Leslie de Chernatony

The Service Industries Journal, 2008, vol. 28, issue 2, 151-165

Abstract: This paper explores the management of brand saboteurs. The literature emphasises the role of the employee in delivering a service brand, and advocates the cultivation of brand ambassadors. Yet there exist saboteurs, employees who work against the brand, and there is a dearth of literature exploring this group. Through 20 in-depth interviews with mangers in the Irish banking and grocery sectors, the researchers identify three types of sabotage: deviance, underperformance, and service failure. A framework for identifying potential saboteurs is presented, together with methods to manage these employees. Notably, the paper identifies the criticality of saboteur management in a ‘job for life’ environment.

Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1080/02642060701842159

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The Service Industries Journal is currently edited by Eileen Bridges, Professor Domingo Ribeiro, Ronald Goldsmith, Barry Howcroft and Youjae Yi

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