Boiling frogs: Reconsidering the impact of deviance targets, severity, and frequency in teams

Abstract

Deviance can impact team performance but it is unclear how this process unfolds. Common measures delineate between interpersonal and organizational deviance rather than considering the impact felt by teammates. Instead, we categorize deviant acts into team-relevant and team-irrelevant measures. We then consider how deviance severity and frequency impact affective states and team performance. Guided by affective events theory’s focus on work events shaping emotional reactions and subsequent behaviors, we suggest that deviant acts that are negative work events increase negative affect and harm team performance, particularly when frequent. Team-irrelevant deviance is not a negative work event and thus should not impact team affect or performance. Within team-relevant deviance, because severe forms are objectively wrong and punished severely, teammates can overcome them whereas subtle and clandestine minor forms harm the team the most, especially when frequent. Support was found within 1114 recorded deviant acts from 435 employees in 114 organizational teams.