Deviant Workplace Behavior

Introduction
The objective of this paper is to analyze when deviant behavior in the workplace becomes a liability. Studies show that this type of workplace behavior is increasing and little work is being done to quantify the economic impact in an organization (Levy & Tziner, 2009). Severe effects of deviant behavior in the workplace have economical, sociological and psychological implications (Executive Disclosure, 2006). This paper provides a general overview of deviant behavior within the workplace and how it affects employees and organizations.
What is Deviant Workplace Behavior?
Deviant workplace behaviors are generally considered those that violate the organizational standards, policies or internal rules. It is important to mention
According to a recent phone survey of 1,305 American employees performed by Integra Realty Resources, stress leads to physical violence in one in ten work environments. And almost half of those surveyed said yelling and verbal abuse is common in their workplaces (Daw, 2001). Most interestingly, this behavior is not linked to class, job type, education, or income levels.
So what’s causing all this erratic behavior? In short, stress. American businesses have suffered tremendously in the last five years due to severe economic downturn. These changes required organizations to downsize, leaving the remaining employees with more duties than ever before. This “do more with less” culture means employees are stretched to their maximum constantly. Employees are skipping breaks and lunches in order to meet job and departmental objectives. All the studies on deviant workplace behavior conclude similarly; the higher the stress level within the work environment, the higher the likelihood employees will experience counterproductive workplace
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