Reduced self-worth: an investigation of why and when coworker undermining facilitates employee interpersonal deviance

Purpose This study investigates why and when undermined employees exhibit deviant behavior toward coworkers. Drawing upon social exchange theory, coworker undermining reduces employee organization-based self-esteem (OBSE), which in turn, fosters employee negative reciprocal behavior in the form of interpersonal deviance. In addition, this study examines the moderating role of relational-interdependent self-construal (RISC) in affecting the indirect effect. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a two-wave survey. Participants were 316 employees of a service company in western China. Ordinary least squares regressions were used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings Coworker undermining is positively related to employee interpersonal deviance, mediated by decreased employee OBSE. In addition, this indirect relationship is more salient for employees with a higher than lower RISC. Originality/value This study suggests that employee OBSE serves as an explanation for why coworker undermining leads to employees’ antagonistic consequences. Furthermore, this study highlights the boundary-condition role of RISC in the influence process.

Passive leadership and deviant behaviors: the moderating effect of power distance and collectivism

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between passive leadership and deviant behaviors targeted to supervisors (supervisor-directed deviance) and coworkers (interpersonal deviance), and the moderating effect power distance and collectivism have on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a survey questionnaire. Respondents were 310 non-managerial employees working in various industries in Surabaya, Indonesia. This study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine hypotheses.FindingsThis study indicates that passive leadership has a positive relationship with supervisor-directed deviance, but not with interpersonal deviance. Moreover, power distance moderates these relationships. Additionally, the findings show that collectivism moderates the relationship between passive leadership and interpersonal deviance, but not with supervisor-directed deviance.Practical implicationsManagers need to be aware of the roles and responsibilities of their positions and understand their subordinates' expectations, specifically related to their cultural values.Originality/valueFew studies have investigated the relationship between passive leadership and deviant behaviors, especially those directed at supervisors and coworkers. Also, there is little study that explored the role of cultural values in these relationships. The present study provides new insight regarding the moderating role power distance and collectivism have in the relationship between passive leadership and deviant behaviors.

Supervisor-directed OCB and deviant behaviors: the role of LMX and impression management motives

PurposeThis study investigates the effect of supervisor-directed organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on leader–member exchange (LMX), the moderating role of impression management motives on this relationship, the effect of LMX on organizational and interpersonal deviance and the mediating effect of LMX on the relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and deviant behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a survey questionnaire to collect data. Respondents were 342 nonmanagerial employees working in Surabaya Raya, Indonesia. Hypothesis testing is done using Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results show that supervisor-directed OCB is positively related to LMX, and LMX is negatively related to organizational deviance but not significantly related to interpersonal deviance. The study also finds that impression management motives moderate the positive relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and LMX. Furthermore, LMX mediates the relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and organizational deviance, but not interpersonal deviance.Practical implicationsThis study suggests the importance of human resource management (HRM) activities and managers being aware of subordinate OCB motives and the impact of LMX on interpersonal and organizational deviance, as well as what supervisors need to do to reduce these negative effects.Originality/valueFew studies examined the relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and workplace deviance behaviors (WDBs). This study provides a mechanism of their relationship by considering LMX as a mediator. Also, heretofore the existing studies tend to focus more on LMX as an antecedent of OCB. This study provides an understanding of OCB as an antecedent of LMX with the moderating effect of impression management motives.

Opportunity, job pressure and deviant workplace behaviour: does neutralisation mediate the relationship? A study of faculty members in public universities in Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to examine the direct effect of the dimensions of opportunity (i.e. ethical climate and institutional policy) and dimensions of job pressure (i.e. workload and work pressure) on workplace deviance (i.e. organisational and interpersonal deviance) and (2) to assess the mediation of neutralisation in the relationship between the dimensions of opportunity, job pressure and workplace deviance.Design/methodology/approachThe present study drew from the fraud triangle theory (FTT; Cressey, 1950) and the theory of neutralisation (Sykes and Matza, 1957) to achieve the research objectives. Survey data from 356 full-time faculty members in Nigerian public universities were collected. Partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse the data.FindingsThe results indicated that opportunity and job pressure significantly affected workplace deviance. As expected, neutralisation was found to mediate the negative relationship between ethical climate and interpersonal deviance and the positive relationship between workload, work pressure and interpersonal deviance. Contrary to expectation, neutralisation did not mediate the relationship between opportunity, pressure and organisational deviance.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample was drawn from academics in public universities and the cross-sectional nature of this study means that the findings have limited generalisations.Practical implicationsThis study offers insights into the management of Nigerian public universities on the need to curb workplace deviance amongst faculty members. This study recommends that the management improve the work environment by enhancing the ethical climate and institutional policies and reviewing the existing workload that may constitute pressure to the faculty members.Originality/valueThe present study provides empirical support for the fraud triangle theory and theory of neutralisation to explain workplace deviance.