Organizational Deviance Research Articles

The transfer of corruptive routines from old industrial regions to innovation clusters: a blind spot in innovation studies

How innovation programs fail and innovation networks deviate from legal paths is a problem not yet fully understood. The complex interdependence between blockages of innovation and organizational corruption is a novel field of research in innovation studies. Equally, traditional approaches to explain opportunity-driven criminal behavior of individuals fail to explicate organizationally driven routines, and the rise of corruption despite anti-corruption campaigns remains a problem which is still unaddressed. This results in a mismatch with the increasing importance of addressing the issue of corruption. To contribute towards closing this gap, we examine, using the sociological concept of organizational deviance, the phenomenon of corruption in innovation clusters. A recent wave of corruption cases in China confirms the need for research in this area in relation to organizational role models for the transformation of mature industries and lagging regions. We discuss the potential danger of a transfer to Triple Helix-based constellations in innovation of routines found in corrupt systems that are impeding foreign direct investments and effective regional growth. The findings are based on a secondary analysis of the transformation of the Chinese coal-mining sector, a sector in which there is strong evidence of corrupt behavior and which is also a key target for politically induced transformation and modernization. The study demonstrates the importance of a consideration of organizational development in Triple Helix constellations and supports arguments in favor of good cluster governance in Triple Helix-based regional innovation systems.

Harsh Leadership and Team Member Deviance: An Exploration of Leader-Team Extraversion Incongruence

In an effort to account for the characteristics of both leaders and teams in the process of leadership, we explore leader-team extraversion configurations and their association with leader and team member behaviors that can negatively impact teams and organizations. Drawing on research from personality and team leadership, we look to leader prototypicality theory to form hypotheses for whether leader-team extraversion incongruence (extraverted leaders of introverted teams; introverted leaders of extraverted teams) will be associated with leaders’ harsh enactment of the leadership process (i.e., through leaders’ use of pressure tactics of influence) and team members’ organizational deviance (OD). To test our hypotheses, we conduct a time-lagged field survey study of 75 leaders and their respective teams (with 324 individual team members) in the nuclear power industry. Using multilevel polynomial regression analyses, we find that leader-team extraversion incongruence is associated with leaders’ increased use of pressure tactics of influence and team members’ organizational deviance. Our research contributes to research and theory on leadership, extraversion, and organizational deviance as well as leader prototypicality.

If Leaving is Not an Option: The Role of Unemployment Rates for Organizational Deviance

Labor market conditions are likely to influence whether employees’ turnover intentions translate into actual leaving. Thus, the question arises how employees with turnover intentions but limited options to leave, behave in the workplace. Surprisingly little research has focused on behavioral outcomes of turnover intentions other than actual turnover. In line with previous research we argue that turnover intentions are positively related to organizational deviance. In order to further knowledge on how contextual factors influence this relationship we combine strain literature and power-dependence theory and develop and test competing hypotheses on how local unemployment rate may moderate the relationship between turnover intentions and organizational deviance. Using data from employees (n = 1,220) from different cantons in Switzerland (k = 26) results of multi-level analysis show that that the relationship between turnover intention and workplace deviance is stronger in the environment of higher unemployment rates.

The Lone Wolf vs. A Pen Full of Wolves: A Composition-Dispersion Model of Group Machiavellianism

The current study incorporates the composition-dispersion framework while integrating dark personality into group personality composition research. More specifically, we study the group level effects of Machiavellian composition in regards to group deviance. We provide a brief critique of the two most commonly used theoretical approaches to studying group personality composition and contend that the composition-dispersion approach, via polynomial regression and surface plotting, depicts a more complex and comprehensive set of relationships between group personality and group outcomes. Based upon prior research, we made hypotheses in line with both the supplementary (mean-level Machiavellianism) and complementary (level of dispersion) approaches to personality composition. Additionally, we hypothesized an effect of incongruence such that mean-level Machiavellianism and dispersion would jointly impact deviance. We found partial support for the supplementary approach, in that the group mean level of Machiavellianism was positively related to both interpersonal and organizational deviance. We did not find support for the complementary approach, in that dispersion level of Machiavellianism was not related to deviance. Using polynomial regression, we found further support that simple linear effects only explained part of the relationship between group Machiavellianism and deviance. Our findings elucidate the impact of incongruence on the Machiavellianism-deviance relationship within groups. We offer theoretical and practical implications to our findings.

Thinking Standards as Practice: The Interplay of Legitimation, Signification and Domination

In this paper we are interested in organizations as recipients of standards and question how standards are enacted in their daily practice. The aim of the paper is to develop a practice lens on standards to gain knowledge about the use of standards. To understand recent critical deviances from standards in several industries better, we suggest to investigate the interplay of legitimation, signification and domination during the enactment of standards within organizations. Based on the structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) and the enactment approach (Weick, 1988), we develop a heuristic framework for the analysis of standards as practice. We deliver qualitative, ethnographic insights from ongoing empirical research on the enactment of standards in a railway vehicle engineering company which is engaged in a metro development project for a Chinese client. We could retrace 28 metaphors for standards in the empirical data describing how standards appear in the daily practice. Our empirical investigations reveal that legitimation, signification and domination are intertwined during the enactment of standards. Furthermore, the interaction of legitimation, signification and domination induces three organizational tensions: (1) divergent interests for standard compliance, (2) blurred responsibilities for standard compliance, and (3) the drift between the internal significance of standards and the available resources. We trust that depending on how organizations solve these tensions it will have an influence on the organizational deviance from or compliance with standards and finally a crucial impact on human health, safety or environmental protection.

Does Leader Ostracism Hurt You?A Moderated Mediation Model of Leader Ostracism,Anger and Deviance

This study focuses on leader ostracism, defined as the extent to an employee perceives that he/she is ignored or excluded by the leader, and explores its effect on employee anger and subsequent deviance behavior. Drawing on Social Information Processing Theory (SIP) and the literature of proactive personality, we proposed and found that coworker support and the focal employee's proactive personality jointly moderated leader ostracism's main effect on anger and its indirect effect on interpersonal and organizational deviance. Specifically, coworker support buffered the adverse effects of leader ostracism only when the employee's proactive personality was high. The contributions, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Unlocking emotional mechanism of injustice-outcome relationship; mediating role of episodic envy

Extending the efforts of previous researchers, this study aims at developing a causal model assimilating the emotional mechanism of perceived injustice and job outcome relationship through episodic envy. The research examined the main and indirect effects of perceived injustice types on job- related behavioral outcomes (organizational and interpersonal deviance, job performance, OCB) and employee’s turnover intentions. The findings significantly supported the assertion that episodic envy mediates this relationship. The findings are also discussed in terms of its practical and theoretical implications at the end.

How Organizational Politics Impact Performance and Deviance Through Authenticity and Exhaustion

We used a multi-method approach (i.e., two experiments and a multi-source survey) to investigate the mediating mechanisms that link two distinct facets of organizational politics to employee perfor...

CFO Social Ties and Financial Reporting Quality: Examination of Mistake Financial Restatements

In contrast to much of the focus of organizational deviance research on organizational misconduct, we theorize in this paper about the unique antecedents to organizational mistakes. Conceptualizing...

Job insecurity and work outcomes: The role of psychological contract breach and positive psychological capital

ABSTRACTJob insecurity has received growing attention from researchers because it poses serious challenges for organisations and for society as a whole. However, there are insufficient studies about the processes through which job insecurity affects outcomes as well as potential ways to reduce its negative impact. This study focuses on the relationship between job insecurity and individual-level outcomes (in-role performance and organisational deviance) and examines if (a) job insecurity is positively and/or negatively related to work outcomes, (b) psychological contract breach acts as a mediator of the relationship between job insecurity and work outcomes, and (c) positive psychological capital (PsyCap) buffers the job insecurity–work outcomes relationship via psychological contract breach. With a sample of 362 employee–supervisor dyads, in which the outcome measures were collected from the supervisors, we found support for our hypotheses. Specifically, we found a moderated mediation effect, whereby PsyCap moderates the negative indirect relationship of job insecurity on outcomes through psychological contract breach.

Manipulation in transplant medicine. A case of organizational deviance?

Die Manipulationen der Wartelisten fur ein Organ durch Transplantationsmediziner haben in den letzten Jahren in Deutschland Aufsehen erregt. Der Artikel behandelt die Frage, wie sich diese Manipulationen erklaren lassen. Er tut dies mittels der Analyse von Gerichtsakten und Prufberichten sowie der Durchfuhrung von Interviews. Er legt die theoretische Perspektive organisationaler Devianz zugrunde und pruft, inwiefern sich die Manipulationen durch individuelle und/oder organisationale Devianz erklaren lassen. Dazu werden die inhaltsanalytisch gewonnenen Strukturdaten mit den in einer Deutungsmusteranalyse herausgearbeiteten Deutungs- und Handlungsregeln in diesem Feld verbunden. Er kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass Haufigkeit und Art der Manipulationen fur ein organisiertes Handeln sprechen, das sich mittels des medizinischen Wettbewerbsdrucks, der straffen fachautoritaren Hierarchien und der Sozialisation in einem Pionierfeld der Medizin etablieren konnte. Dazu waren nach bisherigem Kenntnisstand keine personliche Bereicherung und keine kriminelle Energie notwendig. Diese Form organisationaler und „professioneller“ Devianz kann stattdessen durch organisationale Anreizstrukturen und professionsbezogene Autonomie und Reputationsorientierungen erklart werden. Sie unterscheidet sich masgeblich von der Wirtschaftskriminalitat, weil der okonomische Nutzen nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielt und die tragische Wahlsituation unter der Bedingung der Organknappheit dafur sorgt, dass sowohl bei Regeleinhaltung als auch bei Regelabweichung bestimmte Patienten sterben.

Employee Age Alters the Effects of Justice on Emotional Exhaustion and Organizational Deviance.

Fairness in the workplace attenuates a host of negative individual and organizational outcomes. However, research on the psychology of aging challenges the assumption that fairness operates similarly across different age groups. The current research explored how older workers, vis-à-vis younger workers, react to perceptions of fairness. Integrating socioemotional selectivity theory and the multiple needs theory of organizational justice, we generated novel predictions regarding the relations between perceptions of workplace justice, emotional exhaustion, and employee deviance. Specifically, we hypothesized and found that employee age moderates the negative relation between justice facets and deviance (Study 1) and emotional exhaustion (Study 2). We also found that emotional exhaustion mediates the differential effects of justice on deviance, and that this relation depends on employee age (Study 2). Relative to younger workers, older workers are more sensitive to informational and interpersonal justice; in contrast, relative to older workers, younger workers are more sensitive to distributive and procedural justice. The research supports and extends existing theory on organizational justice and on the psychology of aging. Moreover, it highlights the importance of considering employee age as a focal variable of interest in the study of justice processes, and in organizational research more generally.

Police CEOs and subordinates’ perceptions of workplace misconduct

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether homophily – whereby people are influenced by those perceived as similar to themselves – affects attitudes toward police misconduct. Specifically, whether demographic dissimilarity between police chief executive law enforcement officers (CEOs) and subordinates is related to differences in perceptions of misconduct.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this research are drawn from the National Police Research Platform. Multilevel mixed-effects regression modeling is used to analyze data from 78 randomly selected US police agencies (78 law enforcement CEOs and 10,709 officers from those agencies).FindingsThe main finding is that demographic dissimilarity between the CEO and subordinates is associated with differences in attitudes about police deviance, net of other factors.Practical implicationsThe results exemplify the need to diversify police agencies at all levels, not just the lower ranks. Because employees were found to be more similar to those one step (up or down) from one another on the organizational hierarchy, diversifying at all levels of the police organizations will help to reduce the social distance between those in closer ranks, which could ameliorate the dissimilarity effect. Likewise, police agencies may need to adopt new management strategies to compensate for a diversifying workforce.Originality/valueThis study builds on previous research and investigates an understudied topic in the policing literature by assessing the extent to which dissimilarity is related to attitudinal congruence about workplace deviance in police organizations.

Emotional intelligence as a moderator between perceived organisational injustice and organisational deviance among public sector employees

Several studies have shown that perceived organisational injustice increases employees' tendency to engage in organisational deviance. However, little research attention has been paid to the moderating role of emotional intelligence in this relationship. Using person-organisation fit as a theoretical framework, the present study investigated the moderating role of emotional intelligence on the relationship between perceived organisational injustice and organisational deviance. Two hundred public sector employees (100 males and 100 females) in Nigeria participated in the study. They responded to measures of perceived organisational injustice, emotional intelligence, and organisational deviance. Results of the moderated hierarchical multiple regression indicated that perceived distributive, procedural and interpersonal injustice were positively related to organisational deviance. Emotional intelligence was negatively related to organisational deviance. Finally, results showed that emotional intelligence significantly moderated the relationship between the three dimensions of perceived organisational injustice and organisational deviance. These findings suggest the need for public sector managers to design training programmes that would enhance their employees' levels of emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence as a moderator between perceived organisational injustice and organisational deviance among public sector employees

Emotional intelligence as a moderator between perceived organisational injustice and organisational deviance among public sector employees

The influence of hospitality leaders’ relational transparency on followers’ trust and deviance behaviors: Mediating role of behavioral integrity

This paper investigates the effect of leader’s relational transparency on follower organizational deviance through followers’ perception of leader’s behavioral integrity and their trust in leader. Multi-level modeling results from a multisource survey-based field-study with 24 hospitality student project teams (N=149) show that behavioral integrity mediates the relationship between leader’s relational transparency and follower’s trust in leader. Furthermore, multi-level path analysis suggests that leader’s relational transparency, a team-level construct, exerts a cross-level effect on follower’s organizational deviance through the mediating roles of behavioral integrity and follower’s trust in leader. The study has yielded theoretical and practical implications that are useful for hospitality leaders.

Deviant behavior in constrained environments: Sensation-Seeking predicts workplace deviance in shallow learners

Workplace deviance represents voluntary and intentional behavior that is harmful to organizations. In the current study, we examine workplace deviance using the Hybrid Model of Learning in Personality (HMLP), which has previously been shown to predict dysfunctional behavior in the workplace. Using a sample of part-time workers, we investigated whether dimensions of Rationality and Sensation-Seeking predict workplace deviance, when controlling for known predictors from the Big Five. More interestingly, we also assessed whether the effects of Sensation-Seeking and Deep Learning on workplace deviance depend on how constrained employees feel in their current position. Overall, our results indicate the unique importance of Rationality in the prediction of Interpersonal Deviance, and Sensation-Seeking and Deep Learning in the prediction of Organizational Deviance. In particular, we found that in highly constrained workplaces, Sensation Seekers tend to engage in deviant behavior when they have low levels of Deep Learning, but tend not to engage in deviant behavior when they have high levels of Deep Learning. Results are consistent with the HMLP and have implications for the management of deviant behavior in the workplace.

Teachers' Views on Organizational Deviance, Psychological Ownership and Social Innovation

This study aimed to identify Bolu central district secondary school teachers' views on organizational deviance, psychological ownership and social innovation and to determine whether these views were related. The universe of the study conducted with relational screening model was composed of 360 teachers employed in Bolu central district secondary schools. Psychological Ownership, Organizational Deviance and Social Innovation Scales were used as data collection tools. Means, standard deviation and Spearman's Rho correlation analysis were used in data analysis. According to research results it was found that teachers displayed organizational deviance behaviors towards themselves or their coworkers albeit in low levels and agreed to the items related to psychological ownership and social innovation. Negative, low level and significant relationships were detected between teachers' views on organizational deviance towards self and coworkers, psychological ownership and social innovation. Also, a positive, medium level significant relationship was found between psychological ownership and social innovation.

Breach of Psychological Contract, Task Performance, Workplace Deviance: Evidence from Academia in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan

This study aims to examine the effects of breach of psychological contract on task performance, workplace deviance in higher educational institutions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A conceptual framework has been developed based on previous findings examining the effect of breach of psychology contract on interpersonal and workplace deviance and ultimately on task performance. Survey data was collected from 225 faculty members of private sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was found that there was a negative relationship between psychological contract breach and task performance. Further, organizational deviance has partially and interpersonal deviance has fully mediated the relationship between psychological contract breach and task performance. Findings, as usual have supported our expectations, but more so for interpersonal deviance and less so for organizational deviance. The present study is unique in many ways. On the basis of empirical analysis this study suggests that breach of psychological contract leads to low task performance. Few studies are conducted by examining these variables together. In addition, the present study has taken both interpersonal and organizational deviance as a mediator. Pakistan is under research country. This study has filled the gap by examining the effect of breach of psychological and its outcome in a novel culture of Pakistan.

Examining the impact of job embeddedness on salesperson deviance: The moderating role of job satisfaction

This study investigates the dysfunctional outcomes of salesperson job embeddedness as moderated by job satisfaction. Our findings suggest that among salespeople with low job satisfaction, organizational job embeddedness is positively linked with organizational deviance, interpersonal deviance, and customer-directed deviance. However, among salespeople with high job satisfaction, job embeddedness is negatively linked with organizational deviance and not significantly linked with either interpersonal or customer-directed deviance. The managerial implications of this study suggest that sales managers should be proactive in mitigating salesperson deviance behaviors through a variety of methods that may enhance salesperson satisfaction, particularly among salespeople who are embedded. Such managerial methods may include the following: 1) more assertive communication of acceptable norms with salespeople, 2) proper mentoring, 3) developing coordinated monitor and control systems, and 4) setting appropriate expectations for new hire salespeople by providing realistic job previews.