Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Organizational Deviance

Counterproductive work behavior (CWB) refers to behaviors that hurt or are intended to hurt the organization or its members. CWB may come in the forms of aggression, retaliation, revenge, and deviance. It includes acts with potential harm, such as theft, physical aggression, and sloppy work. The frequency of occurrence, intensity, and target of CWB are mostly at the discretion of the individual engaging in the behavior. Some CWB is directed toward individuals in the organization (interpersonal deviance, or CWB-I), such as verbal assault, aggression, and spreading rumors. Some CWB is directed toward the organization (organizational deviance, or CWB-O), such as theft, sabotage, work slowdowns, and withdrawal. Although CWB-I and CWB-O are linked to mostly the same factors, this entry focuses specifically on CWB-O.

Like other types ...