When employees behave badly: the roles of contract importance and workplace familism in predicting negative reactions to psychological contract breach

In this paper, we examine the influence of contract importance, feelings of violation, and workplace familism on the relationship between psychological contract breach and organizational deviance. Results from a study of 168 supervisor–employee dyads in a pharmaceutical organization suggest that (a) feelings of violation mediated the relationship between perceived breach and supervisor‐rated organizational deviance; (b) relational and transactional contract importance influenced the relationship between breach and feelings of violation such that the relationship was stronger under conditions of high relational and transactional importance; and (c) high levels of workplace familism mitigated the effects of feelings of violation on supervisor‐rated organizational deviance.     

Psychological contract breach and workplace deviance: Does emotional intelligence matter?

This study investigated the influence of emotional intelligence on the relationship between psychological contract breach and workplace deviance with feelings of violation. The participants were 232 employees of a Nigerian public sector organisation (125 males and 107 females). The employees completed measures of workplace deviance, psychological contract breach, feelings of violation, and emotional intelligence. Results of the moderated hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that psychological contract breach was positively related to feelings of violation and workplace deviance. Emotional intelligence significantly buffered the negative effect of psychological contract breach on feelings of violation and workplace deviance. This implies that emotionally intelligent employees who perceived contract breach are less likely to experience feelings of violation and engage in workplace deviance. Emotional regulation appears to reliably moderate between breach-outcome relationships.     

Exploring the role of individual differences in the prediction of workplace aggression

This study investigates the relationship between individual differences and the incidence of workplace aggression in a sample of employees from a transportation company and a public school system. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that measures of trait anger, attribution style, negative affectivity, attitudes toward revenge, self-control, and previous exposure to aggressive cultures accounted for 62% of the variance in the participants' self-reported incidence of workplace aggression. Further research on workplace aggression is advocated, focusing on the role of individual differences and their interactions with organizational and group-level variables.     

Are Dishonest Extraverts More Harmful than Dishonest Introverts? The Interaction Effects of Honesty‐Humility and Extraversion in Predicting Workplace Deviance

Honesty‐Humility, one of the six major personality dimensions included in the HEXACO model of personality structure, has previously been found to show negative correlations with workplace deviance. In this study, we hypothesised that Extraversion would moderate the relationship between Honesty‐Humility and workplace deviance. In particular, we posited that the relation between Honesty‐Humility and workplace deviance would be stronger among employees who are high on Extraversion than among those low on Extraversion. The hypothesis was tested using three different samples across Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands. It was found in two of the three samples that high levels of Extraversion did indeed amplify the relationship between (low) Honesty‐Humility and workplace deviance. Results suggest a potentially important role for multiplicative effects of personality variables on workplace criteria.     

The relationship between psychological contract breach and employee deviance: The moderating role of hostile attributional style

This study investigated the main effects and the interaction effects of psychological contract breach and hostile attributional style on employee deviance (i.e., interpersonal deviance and organizational deviance). Data were collected from 233 employees and their supervisors in eight electronic companies in Taiwan. Results demonstrate that psychological contract breach related positively to both interpersonal and organizational deviance. Psychological contract breach did not have a stronger effect on organizational deviance than on interpersonal deviance. Hostile attributional style had interactive effects on the relationships between psychological contract breach and the two forms of employee deviance. Specifically, the higher the hostile attributional style, the stronger the positive relationship between psychological contract breach and employee deviance. This study contributes to the existing literature on reactions to psychological contract breach. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of the study results and future research directions.     

Hostility, job attitudes, and workplace deviance: test of a multilevel model

The authors tested a model, inspired by affective events theory (H. M. Weiss & R. Cropanzano, 1996), that examines the dynamic nature of emotions at work, work attitudes, and workplace deviance. Sixty-four employees completed daily surveys over 3 weeks, reporting their mood, job satisfaction, perceived interpersonal treatment, and deviance. Supervisors and significant others also evaluated employees' workplace deviance and trait hostility, respectively. Over half of the total variance in workplace deviance was within-individual, and this intraindividual variance was predicted by momentary hostility, interpersonal justice, and job satisfaction. Moreover, trait hostility moderated the interpersonal justice-state hostility relation such that perceived injustice was more strongly related to state hostility for individuals high in trait hostility.     

Starting Off on the Wrong Foot: Cognitive Impulsivity and Low Self-Control as Predictors of Early School Maladjustment

This study’s purpose was to determine whether parent-rated cognitive impulsivity (poor concentration, lack of persistence, weak responsibility, impoverished divergent reasoning, and limited eagerness to learn) mediated the relationship between low self-control and early behavioral and academic problems in schoolchildren. Participants were 21,397 5- to 6-year-old children transitioning from kindergarten to first grade. The pathway mediated by cognitive impulsivity was compared to pathways mediated by problematic social relations and negative affect. Results showed that only the cognitive impulsivity-mediated pathway achieved significance, indicating that social cognitive variables are superior to social and affective indicators in mediating the self-control?early school adjustment relationship.     

Cognitive and affective predictors of boredom proneness

Boredom proneness has been linked to various forms of cognitive and affective dysregulation including poor self-control and mind-wandering (MW), as well as depression and aggression. As such, understanding boredom and the associated cognitive and affective components of the experience, represents an important first step in combatting the consequences of boredom for psychological well-being. We surveyed 1928 undergraduate students on measures of boredom proneness, self-control, MW, depression and aggression to investigate how these constructs were related. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that self-control operated as a strong negative predictor of boredom proneness. Finally, when controlling for age and self-control, we observed large decreases in the magnitudes of the relationships between boredom proneness and our other measures of interest. Together, these results imply a strong relationship between boredom proneness and cognitive and affective dysregulation, and show that individual levels of self-control can account for the lion’s share of variance in the relationships between boredom, cognition, and affect.     

Leader mistreatment,employee hostility,and deviant behaviors: Integrating self-uncertainty and thwarted needs perspectives on deviance

Integrating self-uncertainty management and thwarted needs perspectives on leader mistreatment and workplace deviance, we examine when and why leader mistreatment is associated with workplace deviance. We propose that competence uncertainty strengthens the relationship between leader mistreatment and workplace deviance and that hostility mediates this interactive effect. Four field studies and one experiment support the hypotheses. The first two studies provide evidence for the predicted interaction between leader mistreatment and competence uncertainty, and the next three studies demonstrate that hostility mediates this interactive effect. We discuss an extended social exchange explanation of workplace deviance and highlight the psychological interplay between motives, cognition, and affect in reciprocating leader mistreatment.     

Climate perceptions matter: a meta-analytic path analysis relating molar climate,cognitive and affective states,and individual level work outcomes

Although workplace climate has been extensively studied, the research has not led to firm conclusions as to its relationship with individual level work outcomes. The authors used C. Ostroff's (1993) taxonomy to organize dimensions labeled as workplace climate and then used meta-analytic techniques to test a path analytic model. The model posited that climate affects individual level outcomes through its impact on underlying cognitive and affective states. An extensive literature search yielded 51 empirical studies with 70 samples. The results suggest that the 3 higher order facets of climate (affective, cognitive, and instrumental) affected individual level outcomes of job performance, psychological well-being, and withdrawal through their impact on organizational commitment and job satisfaction.     

Attachments in the workplace: How attachment security in the workplace benefits the organisation

In four studies, we tested if workplace secure attachment entails organisational benefits, given that such relationships are associated with increased positive relationship emotions. In Study 1, employees rated the extent to which colleagues, supervisors, and other individuals fulfil the attachment functions. In Study 2, employees listed up to 10 individuals before completing the same rating task as Study 1. In the remaining studies, employees rated their attachment security with their supervisors (Study 3) or colleagues (Study 4), and completed measures of positive relationship emotions with these individuals, proactive behaviour, organisational allure, and organisational deviance. We found that supervisors and colleagues fulfil attachment functions (Studies 1–2), and that workplace attachment security confers organisational allure and proactive behaviour due to its association with positive relationships emotions. However, workplace attachment security directly lowers organisational deviance (Studies 3–4). Thus, supportive and trusting work environments may encourage workplace relationships that could bestow organisational benefits.     

消极情绪在程序和互动不公正感与员工偏离行为间的中介作用:传统性的调节机制

采用问卷调查法对341名员工及其同事进行调查,从情绪和文化传统性视角,探讨了程序和互动不公正对员工偏离行为的影响及其内在作用机制.结果表明:(1)消极情绪是组织不公正感对员工偏离行为作用的中介变量;(2)传统性对组织不公正感对员工偏离行为的影响作用具有调节效果;(3)使用总效应调节模型对消极情绪在组织不公正感对员工偏离行为的中介效应及传统性的调节作用进行综合性分析,发现传统性主要在第二阶段,即消极情绪对员工偏离行为的影响作用上调节效果显著.     

Personality as a moderator between emotional exhaustion and workplace deviance among teachers

This study investigated the moderating role of personal factors of agreeableness and conscientiousness in the relationship between emotional exhaustion and workplace deviance. The sample comprised 200 teachers from nine schools in the south-eastern part of Nigeria (females = 85%; married = 85%; age range 20–59 years; organisational tenure = 8.04 years, SD = 7.44 years; senior staff = 55%). The teachers completed measures of self-reported agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional exhaustion, workplace deviance, and demographics. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was utilised to predict workplace deviance from agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional exhaustion. The results showed that agreeableness and conscientiousness negatively predicted workplace deviance, whereas emotional exhaustion positively predicted it. In addition, individuals who are low in agreeableness were more likely to indulge in workplace deviance, whereas those high in this trait were more likely to refrain from it. Managing personal workplace deviance may sap resources for work productivity.     

Narcissism and lack of interpersonal forgiveness: The mediating role of state anger,state rumination,and state empathy

The present study investigated the unique contributions of two distinct dimensions of narcissism – admiration and rivalry – to two facets of unforgiveness: revenge and avoidance. In addition, we examined whether state anger, state rumination, and state empathy mediate this relationship. Using a large sample (N = 1040), we found that admiration was negatively related to revenge and avoidance via higher empathy for the transgressor. By contrast, rivalry was positively related to revenge and avoidance via greater anger and rumination and less empathy. Findings suggest that the mechanisms through which narcissism and lack of forgiveness are associated are better understood if we disentangle admiration and rivalry and consider both cognitive and affective antecedents of narcissists’ unforgiving motivations.     

Mastery approach and performance approach: the differential prediction of organizational citizenship behavior and workplace deviance,beyond HEXACO personality

Goal orientation has become one of the most studied motivational constructs in the psychology literature. However, in organizational contexts, the research focus to date has largely centered on the relationship between goal orientation and task performance—neglecting the valuable contribution of non-task work behaviors, such as workplace deviance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) to organization functioning. In this paper, we addressed this gap in the literature by investigating the differential prediction of performance approach and mastery approach goal orientation on workplace deviance and OCB, beyond personality correlates. We hypothesize that performance approach orientation is positively associated with workplace deviance and mastery approach orientation is positively associated with OCB. A sample of employed participants (n = 114) provided self-reports of goal orientation, workplace deviance, OCB and personality. Additionally, participants nominated a well-acquainted peer to provide peer-reports of their personalities. When controlling for personality, performance approach orientation positively predicted workplace deviance whereas mastery approach orientation positively predicted organizational citizenship behavior. This study is the first to our knowledge to explore the relationships between goal orientation and non-task work behaviors and to show that goal orientation adds to the understanding of workplace deviance and OCB, beyond personality. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Effects of psychological contract breach on performance of IT employees: The mediating role of affective commitment

In this study, we investigated the relationships between psychological contract breach, affective commitment, and two types of employee performance (i.e. civic virtue behaviour and in‐role performance). It was predicted that an experience of contract breach can severely hurt the affective commitment of the employees and this, in turn, results in poor in‐role performance and less civic virtue behaviours. Results revealed that affective commitment had differential mediating effects on the two types of employee performance. That is, affective commitment mediated the relationship between breach and self‐reported and supervisor‐rated civic virtue, but not the relationship between breach and in‐role performance.     

Judging Up the Corporate Ladder: Understanding the Social Conduct of Workers

The purpose of this research was to examine the social conduct of workers toward managers following a negative work event involving their managers. Three studies were conducted to examine the relationships among attributions, judgments of responsibility, anger and sympathy, and antisocial and prosocial behaviors. In Study 1, we manipulated ability and effort attributions with scenarios in order to examine the cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes of hypothetical workplace events. In Studies 2 and 3, we replicated these results using a retrospective, critical-incidents methodology and further explored the mediational relationships between cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses. Findings from the 3 studies supported hypotheses derived from Weiner's (1995) theory of social conduct.     

工作场所中越轨行为的定义、特性与分类体系解析

在文献回顾的基础上,系统整理、分析了越轨行为的定义、工作场所中越轨行为的特性和分类体系3个问题,并提出如下建议：（1）应当高度重视工作场所中越轨行为的研究;（2）工作场所中的越轨行为可以定义为“组织成员有意采取的针对其他组织成员或组织财物、且违反组织重要的主流规范的行为,其结果在客观上会出现共赢、损人利己、损己利人和损人损己4种情形”;（3）应当建立和完善符合中国国情的工作场所越轨行为分类体系。     

Abusive supervision and workplace deviance and the moderating effects of negative reciprocity beliefs

In this study, the authors examine the relationship between abusive supervision and employee workplace deviance. The authors conceptualize abusive supervision as a type of aggression. They use work on retaliation and direct and displaced aggression as a foundation for examining employees' reactions to abusive supervision. The authors predict abusive supervision will be related to supervisor-directed deviance, organizational deviance, and interpersonal deviance. Additionally, the authors examine the moderating effects of negative reciprocity beliefs. They hypothesized that the relationship between abusive supervision and supervisor-directed deviance would be stronger when individuals hold higher negative reciprocity beliefs. The results support this hypothesis. The implications of the results for understanding destructive behaviors in the workplace are examined.     

When victims become culprits: The role of subordinates’ neuroticism in the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance

Drawing upon the General Aggression Model, we examined the role of subordinates’ neuroticism in strengthening the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance. Results revealed that Time 1 abusive supervision was positively related to Time 2 personnel records of workplace deviance measured 18 months later. Further, subordinates’ neuroticism moderated this relationship. Specifically, there was a stronger positive relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance for employees with high as opposed to low levels of neuroticism. These findings highlight the need to account for the role of individual differences in influencing subordinates’ responses to supervisor hostility. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.