The Conceptual Review on the Impact of Organizational Justice on Workplace Deviance and the Mediating Role of Psychological Contract Breach

Abstract

The prevalence of deviant behavior such as fraud, robbery, withholding effort, hostile acts, and sexual harassment in the workplace is a major problem for organizations. For good reasons, it is highly significant for executives and researchers to avoid deviant activity in the workplace. A recent report revealed that employees are found to be more involved than customers in deviant activities at the workplace. One in every fifteen employees steals from their employer.” The study finds that 33 to 75% of all workers have participated in deviant behaviors, and as many as 42% of women have been sexually abused at work. This article aims to analyze the phenomena of workplace deviance and destruction caused by workplace deviance in the form of huge psychological and financial losses to organizations. First, we discuss the need for research on workplace deviance, especially in the collectivistic culture, by reviewing previous studies from deviance literature. Next, we present the role of organizational justice in triggering workplace deviance. Then we also propose a new mediating variable in the form of a Psychological Contract Breach between Organizational justice and Workplace deviance. This paper also contributes significantly to the dimensions/facets of Organizational Justice. The presented theoretical framework can be useful for conducting future empirical research. Finally, we present the conclusion and future research in conducting cross-national research with respect to workplace deviance.