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Exploring the effects of workplace deviance on perpetrators’ own work outcomes: the role of benevolent leadership in regulating fear activation and implication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2021

Shao-Long Li ,
Zhen Xiong (George) Chen  and
Guanglei Zhang Open the ORCID record for Guanglei Zhang [Opens in a new window]
Shao-Long Li
Affiliation:
Economics and Management School, Wuhan University, 299 Bayi Road, Wuhan, CN430072, China
Zhen Xiong (George) Chen
Affiliation:
College of Business and Economics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT0200, Australia
Guanglei Zhang*
Affiliation:
School of Management, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan, CN430070, China
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: zhangguanglei@whut.edu.cn
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Abstract

The prevalence of workplace deviance has become an urgent issue for managers. Although increasing research has investigated the detriments of workplace deviance on other employees and organizations, limited research has studied the harm of workplace deviance on perpetrators themselves. This research drew from appraisal theories of emotion and sought to understand perpetrators' affective and behavioral consequences of engaging in deviance. Using a diary method, a survey consisting of 92 employees with 918 observations was conducted. The results reveal that employees' deviance is positively related to their feeling of fear and that fear overrides feelings of guilt, ultimately decreasing work engagement and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Importantly, perceived benevolent leadership weakens the effects of deviance on perpetrators themselves by relieving fear associated with past deviance and mitigating the negative influences of fear on OCB.

Keywords

Appraisal theory of emotionbenevolent leadershipfearworkplace deviance
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , First View , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2021

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