Deviant Behaviors at Work

Abstract

Through order and discipline, we expect to have better functioning organizations. However, even though some strong sanctions are placed against those who do not obey workplace norms, rules and regulations, some employees, individually or in groups, may still attempt to commit deviant acts. With Hawthorne studies, we had come to realize that individuals in the workplace may show deviant behaviors that do not serve organizational goals. Even though some studies reveal that not all deviant behaviors are negative, such as organizational citizenship behavior, the outcomes of negative deviance in organizations bring serious costs to the effectiveness and competitiveness of organizations. This chapter of the book will give an overview of deviant behaviors in organizations, reviewing the related literature (performing a meta-analysis) in order to identify and classify the types of deviant behaviors. Additionally, the chapter aims at presenting their antecedents (common reasons, if any) and consequences, as well as discussing how to reduce deviant behaviors and their costs, or when to ignore specific deviances, and specifically how to deal with the negative organizational behaviors presented. © 2023 H. Cenk Sözen and H. Nejat Basım.