Organizational Injustice and Deviant Behavior

Deviant workplace behaviors are employee behaviors that violate organizational norms. These behaviors can manifest as corruption on a large scale, but more often they are subtler erosions of time and productivity, for example through chronic lateness. These behaviors can impact the following areas: production (e.g., cyber-loafing), property (e.g., theft), politics (e.g., supervisor asking an employee to work outside his or her job description), or personal (e.g., bullying). There are myriad reasons why employees exhibit deviant behaviors: feeling slighted, underutilized, or treated unfairly. Feelings of injustice have been associated with deviant behaviors. Think about how perceptions of injustice and the resulting organizational deviant behavior can be addressed by organizational leadership.

In this Discussion, you will explore the effects of deviant behavior on an organization and consider strategies for addressing them.

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Consider the various types of organizational deviant behavior, including possible reasons and consequences.

• Read the article “An Empirical Study Analyzing Job Productivity in Toxic Workplace Environments.” Reflect on what would happen if a toxic environment, resulting from a climate of deviant behavior, is left unchecked.

• Read the article “Disentangling the Relationship Between Implicit Aggressiveness and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: The Role of Job Attitudes.” Consider the role of individual characteristics (or traits) such as aggressiveness or feelings of injustice and how it relates to other counterproductive work behavior.

• Read the article “The Dark Triad and Workplace Behavior.” Consider the “dark triad” of workplace behaviors and the type of organizational climate that can exacerbate them.

• Read the article “The Dark Side of Personality Predicts Positive and Negative Work Attitudes.” Identify personal traits and the effect, both positive and negative, they can have in an organization.

• Read the article “Surveying the Forest: A Meta‐Analysis, Moderator Investigation, and Future‐Oriented Discussion of the Antecedents of Voluntary Employee Turnover.” Consider how justice can mediate commitment and withdrawal cognitions. Read the article “Understanding and Mitigating Cynicism the Workplace.” Consider leadership and supervisory behaviors that can help mitigate deviant behaviors in the workplace.

• Read the article “Where the Bullies Are.” Reflect on the conditions that might increase the likelihood of bullying behavior and what can be done to address it before it negatively impacts the organization.