Dysfunctional Behaviour in Organisations
Module 2 MN250/D
a) How organisation of work can contribute to dysfunctional behaviour.
Bennett and Robinson (2003), suggest that behaviour is deemed dysfunctional or deviant when an individual or a group violates an organisation’s norms, policies, or internal values, and threatens the welfare of the organisation or its constituents. Researchers into dysfunctional behaviour have come up with other alternative terms such as corrupt, counterproductive behaviour, deviance, antisocial, and unethical or anti-citizen behaviour (Speedy 2004). Pulich and Tourigny (2004), attempt to distinguish dysfunctional behaviour into two categories i.e. interpersonal workplace deviance and organisational deviance. Interpersonal deviance refers to both minor and serious harmful behaviours that target specific stakeholders such as clients and co-workers. Minor offences include political deviance such as gossiping about co-workers, blaming workmates instead of accepting one’s responsibility for failure, competing in a manner that does not benefit the organisation, and showing favouritism. While serious harmful behaviour refers to personal aggression such as physical abuse, stealing from work mates or clients and endangering colleagues by reckless or negligent practice.
On the other hand organisational deviance is defined as constituting of production and property deviance. Robinson et al (1995) states that production deviance is viewed as behaviour that violates organisational norms with respect to minimal quality and quantity of work to be accomplished as part of one job while the later refers to instances where employees either damage or acquire tangible assets from the organisation without authorisation. Symptoms of organisational deviance will include absenteeism and tardiness, unauthorised extended break and lunch times, excessive socialisation time, intrusion of personal problems into workplace, not following standard operating procedures and guidelines, waste of time and
a) How organisation of work can contribute to dysfunctional behaviour.
Bennett and Robinson (2003), suggest that behaviour is deemed dysfunctional or deviant when an individual or a group violates an organisation’s norms, policies, or internal values, and threatens the welfare of the organisation or its constituents. Researchers into dysfunctional behaviour have come up with other alternative terms such as corrupt, counterproductive behaviour, deviance, antisocial, and unethical or anti-citizen behaviour (Speedy 2004). Pulich and Tourigny (2004), attempt to distinguish dysfunctional behaviour into two categories i.e. interpersonal workplace deviance and organisational deviance. Interpersonal deviance refers to both minor and serious harmful behaviours that target specific stakeholders such as clients and co-workers. Minor offences include political deviance such as gossiping about co-workers, blaming workmates instead of accepting one’s responsibility for failure, competing in a manner that does not benefit the organisation, and showing favouritism. While serious harmful behaviour refers to personal aggression such as physical abuse, stealing from work mates or clients and endangering colleagues by reckless or negligent practice.
On the other hand organisational deviance is defined as constituting of production and property deviance. Robinson et al (1995) states that production deviance is viewed as behaviour that violates organisational norms with respect to minimal quality and quantity of work to be accomplished as part of one job while the later refers to instances where employees either damage or acquire tangible assets from the organisation without authorisation. Symptoms of organisational deviance will include absenteeism and tardiness, unauthorised extended break and lunch times, excessive socialisation time, intrusion of personal problems into workplace, not following standard operating procedures and guidelines, waste of time and