Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences: Home

Abstract:
Institutions do not always serve the interests of survival, and in many cases they harm and betray their workers. The roots of institutional betrayal are found in the metacontingencies, which are complex combinations of interlocking behavior contingencies that result in aggregate products and incorporate receiving systems. Individuals selected for betrayal have performed recurring operants and components of cooperative behaviors patterned as metacontingencies. They have contributed to the adaptive capabilities of the organization. Their actions would be expected to continue. However, managers may intervene and alter the contingencies and metacontingencies in which workers are involved, resulting in arbitrary obsolescence of workers? functional behaviors. As acts of institutional betrayal are targeted toward workers, they adversely affect others who participate in marginalizing targeted workers. Steps can be taken to measure and monitor institutional betrayal. Managers? interventions in institutional metacontingencies not only harm workers; they also can weaken the response of institutional receiving systems to aggregate products. Cultural selection of products by receiving systems is generally best for institutions and workers.

Keywords: institutional betrayal, metacontingency, contingency, workplace culture, worker alienation

Download full paper