Understanding workplace deviance: an application of primary socialization theory

Abstract

As costs associated with workplace deviance continue to mount, research on the topic has become increasingly fragmented and atomistic, focusing on three narrow explanations for deviant acts at work. Personal characteristics, normative climates, and severed employee-organization linkages all have demonstrable relationships with workplace deviance. However, they have rarely been examined in combination. Primary socialization theory was imported from the adolescent deviance literature in order to unify the three predominant themes in workplace deviance research. Employed college students (N = 268) in an introductory psychology course completed the Hogan Personality Inventory and survey materials regarding deviant work behavior, normative work climates, relations with co-workers, and bonds with their employing organization. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure for workplace deviance, comprised of property deviance (e.g., theft), production deviance (e.g., shirking), and substance use on the job. Separate hierarchical linear regression models were examined for the three workplace deviance factors. Regression results supported, for the most part, the hypotheses suggested by primary socialization theory. Norms at the workgroup level were the dominant drivers of deviance in the workplace, while organizational norms were indirectly linked to deviance through workgroup norms. Moreover, the effect of organizational norms on deviance was generally moderated by employee-organization linkages. Lastly, personal characteristics (i.e., integrity) affected deviance primarily through the network of norms and linkages. The results suggest that primary socialization theory is a viable organizing structure for research on workplace deviance. Moreover, organizations should be aware of the complex interplay between personal characteristics, normative climates, and employee-organization linkages in designing interventions targeting workplace deviance.