Anomic employees and deviant workplace behaviour: An organisational study

Abstract

The study examines anomie as an antecedent of deviant workplace behaviour (DWB) targeting the organisation, co-workers or clients. The model tested suggests that Srole's (1956) individual anomie, measured by the 1972 extended 9-item scale, unfolds into two dimensions: valuelessness and cynicism. It is expected that both dimensions lead employees to engage more frequently in DWB. Data were collected from 99 of 156 (63.5%) teachers in a district secondary school in Spain. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), the results show that employees with greater valuelessness display more deviant behaviour towards clients, but unexpectedly less deviant behaviour targeting co-workers. However, employees more anomic in the cynicism dimension show more deviant behaviours against co-workers. Other relationships analysed were not significant. The implications of these results are discussed and future research directions are offered.