Validating a Workplace Deviance Measure in Hospitals

Abstract

Objective: This study seeks to validate a Workplace Deviance (WD) measure in hospitals.Research Methods: An empirical study was carried through the application of a questionnaire, gathering responses from 135 staff members in three hospitals (two public and one private). For the purposes of analysis, descriptive statistics and factorial analysis were employed.Results: The results prove an instrument with 22 items valid for measuring WD in health organizations. This involves an adaptation of the generalist measure put forth in the Bennett and Robinson (2000) model, allowing for application in the health sector. The study is innovative in the sense that it completes a diagnostic in a specific context, with base in a measure for evaluating WD in the field of health. This study is of relevance to managers and academics that recognize the possibility of workplace deviance in health organizations and require a measure that builds knowledge regarding voluntary behavior of staff that act out of line with organizational norms. Conclusions: Six items (WD1, WD2, WD3, WD5, WD7 and WD25) were rejected, which confirms the assumption that the specific characteristics of health organizations and services limit the applicability of general WD measures in this field. The findings also provide grounds for the reclassification of the items WD11 and WD14.