We certainly don’t know enough about psychology to objectively measure much of anything. But I suppose a massive portion of your workforce deciding to take severance instead of working for you any longer is one of the most concrete examples of high social debt coming and biting you in the ass I’ve ever heard of.
And in general that’s the idea of social debt. That every time you ask someone to change their responsibilities, or do something against company culture, or do something against their morals,
or work longer hours for no extra pay, etc: you accrue negativity in their mind associated with you. Do that enough without there being positive things to “pay off” the debt and they’ll be less motivated to work for you, quit entirely, or even sabotage you.
And in general that’s the idea of social debt. That every time you ask someone to change their responsibilities, or do something against company culture, or do something against their morals, or work longer hours for no extra pay, etc: you accrue negativity in their mind associated with you. Do that enough without there being positive things to “pay off” the debt and they’ll be less motivated to work for you, quit entirely, or even sabotage you.