Workplace Deviant Behavior

1. WORKPLACE DEVIANT
BEHAVIOR
AYŞE ÇOBAN
SARA DEMİREL

2. CONTENT
• Definition of Workplace Deviant Behavior
• Antecedents of Workplace Deviant Behavior(WDB)
• Consequences of WDB
• Preventing WDB

3. What is Workplace Deviant
Behavior?
‘‘Employee deviance is defined as
voluntary behavior that violates significant
organizational norms and in so doing
threatens the well-being of an
organization, its members, or both.’’
(Robinson & Bennett, 1995)
Example: Stealing, witholding effort, and
acting rudely to co-workers.

4. OTHER DEFINITIONS OF WDB
Source: Robinson, S. L., & Greenberg, J. (1998). Employees behaving badly: Dimensions, determinants and
dilemmas in the study of workplace deviance.

5. Typology of Workplace Deviance
Property Deviance
• Sabotagigng equipment
• Accepting kickbacks
• Lying abour hours worked
• Stealing from company
Production Deviance
• Leaving early
• Taking excessive breaks
• Intentionally working slow
• Wasting resources
ORGANIZATIONAL
INTERPERSONAL
MINOR
SERIOU
S
Political Deviance
• Showing favoritism
• Gossiping about co-workers
• Blaming co-workers
• Competing nonbeneficially
Personel
Aggression
• Sexual Harresment
• Verbal Abuse
• Stealing from coworkers
• Endangering cowerkers

6. Deviant Workplace Behavior vs. Ethical
Behavior
• DWB focuses on violating
organizatinal norms whereas the
ethical behavior focuses on what is
right or wrong when judged in terms
of justice, law or other societal
guidelines. (Robinson & Bennett,
1995)
• Example: Dumping toxic waste in a
river is not deviant if it conforms with
the policies of an organization. On
the other hand, reporting this
dumping to authorities is an ethical
behavior.

7. Positive Deviant Behavior
• “Positive deviance is defined as intentional
behavior that departs from the norms of a
referent group in honorable ways.’’
(Robinson & Bennett, 1995)
• Example:Innovative behavior,
noncompliance with dysfunctional
directives, criticizing incompetent superiors.

8. Antecedents of Workplace Deviant
Behavior
I. Individual Factors
o Personality; Type A and Hostile Attributional Bias personalities tend to
being aggressive, emotinally reactive individuals, personalities that like
hurting and discomforting people have predisposition to behave
deviantly.
o Locus of Control; External individuals are more likely to commit in deviant
behaviors.
o Machiavellianism and Love of Money; Machiavellianism is the way of
manipulating people to get personal benefits and Machiavelists tend to
behave more deviantly.
o Personality flaw; People who have mental problems would probably
show deviant behavior at work. E.g. Alcohol or drug users, schizophrenic
individuals.
o Negative emotions; Their effects are mainly on justice perceptions and
by this way deviant behavior occurs. ( Perception of injustice because
employee seek fair and just treatments in their work environments

9. Antecedents of Workplace Deviant
Behavior (Cont.)
II. Demographic Factors
o Gender
o Tenure
o Education
o Age
o Status and Numerous Reference Groups
o Religion
o Marginality Position

10. Antecedents of Workplace Deviant
Behavior (Cont.)
II. Situational Factors
o Social and Interpersonal factors
• Influence of work group
• Influence of supervisors
• Opportunities
• Needs
• Indebtedness
• Dissimilarities
o Organizational Factors
• Operational enviroment
• Organizational culture
• Job characteristics
• Company task structure and
involvement
• Counter norms
• Job satisfaction
• Ethical work climate
• Organizational commitment
• Organizational frustration
• Organizational Justice
• Perceived organizational
support
• Stress

11. Consequences of Workplace Deviant
Behavior
• Economic Costs
Researcher shows that organizations bear significant economic loose from deviant behaviors
o Decreased productivity,
o Lack of product consistency
o Loss of inventory control
o Inconsistent service quality
o Effectiveness and performance of employees.
o Damaged equipment
• Social Costs
o Decreased reputation,
o Reduced employee morale.
o Increased revenge-seeking in the workplace
o It decreases the other’s organizational commitment
o Decrases in job satisfaction and increases in turnover.
• Sufferer
o Psychological problems,
o Aggressive behaviours,
o Anxiety
• Hostile working environment

12. Preventing Deviant Behaviour
‘‘Organizational Behaviorist are not only interested in idetifing factors cause to
deviant workplace behavior, they also try to give some recommodations about
how to minimize and restrict DWB.’’ ( Rogojan,2009)
• Promoting an Ethical Organizational Culture
• Ethical Leadership
• Installing “Toxic Handlers”
• Training Programs
• Personnel Selection
o Background check
o Polygraph Test
o Employment Interview
o Honesty Tests
o Psychometric Tests
• Control
• Promoting Pro-Social Behavior
• Ethics Courses

13. REFERENCES
• Robinson, S. L., & Bennett, R. J. (1995). A typology of
deviant workplace behaviors: A multidimensional scaling
study. Academy of management journal,38(2), 555-572.
• Robinson, S. L., & Greenberg, J. (1998). Employees
behaving badly: Dimensions, determinants and
dilemmas in the study of workplace deviance.
• Rogojan, P. T. (2009). Deviant Workplace Behavior in
Organizations: Antecedents, Influences, and Remedies.
• Kantur, D. (2010). Emotional Motives and Attitudinal
Reflections of Workplace Deviant Behavior. The Besuiness
Review, Cambridge, 14(2), 70-77