Constructive Deviance, Destructive Deviance and Personality: How do they interrelate?
Author:Moran Bodankin, Aharon Tziner
JEL:
DOI:
Keywords:work deviance; organizational misbehavior; personality and counterproductive behavior
Abstract:
In recent years deviant behavior in organizations has drawn increasing attention. However,
surprisingly little research has focused on constructive rather than destructive deviance. In
an attempt to bridge this gap, the present study investigated both constructive and
destructive deviance at work and their relationship to employee personality. Using 89 hitech
employees, constructive and destructive (interpersonal and organizational) deviance
were regressed on the big-five factors of personality. Findings show that neuroticism and
agreeableness were related to both types of constructive deviance, whereas
conscientiousness was associated with both types of destructive deviance. Moreover,
agreeableness was connected to interpersonal destructive deviance, whereas openness to
experience was connected to organizational constructive deviance. Theoretical and
practical implications are suggested as well as a course for future research.