Abstract: Social undermining refers to behavior intended to hinder the ability to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships, work-related success and favorable reputation over time. After introducing the concepts and measuring instruments of social undermining, the article summarized the negative influences of social undermining at the individual level which includes mental health and self-efficacy, and at the organizational climate level. Then the paper elucidated individual engagements and reactions about social undermining which were shaped by cognition, personality and other internal factors on the one hand, and were determined by social context, social support and other external factors on the other hand. Future studies about the conceptualization/measurement, methods and antecedents of social undermining were discussed as well.

Key words: social undermining, negative interpersonal behavior, mental health, organization performance