Employee deviance as a response to injustice and task-related discontent

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine employee satisfaction with tasks as a mediator in the relation between procedural justice and deviant workplace behavior directed at the organization as a whole. Because organizational procedures are the methods customarily used by employees in handling their activities and by human resources managers in determining job descriptions, when organizational procedures are unfairly implemented the author suggests that they encourage employee discontent with work tasks. In turn, this task dissatisfaction leads employees to engage in deviant workplace behavior directed at the organization. Results of structural equations modeling used to test direct and indirect relations among the variables indicate that procedural justice (a) positively influenced task satisfaction and (b) had a negative influence on deviant workplace behavior directed at the organization through its effect on employee task satisfaction. The author concludes by discussing human resources managerial implications for job analysis practices as well as suggestions for future research.