The Effect of Group Norms and Personal Work Values on Counterproductive Workplace Behaviors: An Empirical Study of St. Lucia’s Young Workers

Abstract

This research examined the influence of personal (demographics and work values) and situational (group behavioral norms) factors on the propensity to engage in counterproductive work behaviors (misuse of resources and misuse of information) among Business Administration graduates. A quantitative vignette or factorial survey approach was used in the study. Three questionnaires, containing a subset of vignettes representing different factors of the situational variable, were administered to respondents. A range of statistical analysis methods namely Pearson’s correlation, hierarchical regression, T-tests and one-way ANOVA was used to test the sixteen (16) proposed hypotheses. Results indicate that none of the examined demographic variables had a significant influence on the propensity to engage in CWB. Of the five work values examined, only three had a significant influence on the propensity to engage in CWB. The hypothesized relationships between group behavioral norms and the propensity to engage in CWB received little overall support. In addition, post- hoc interviews found that the study was affected by social desirability bias, Hawthorne effect as well as limitations in design.

This research examined the influence of personal (demographics and work values) and situational (group behavioral norms) factors on the propensity to engage in counterproductive work behaviors (misuse of resources and misuse of information) among Business Administration graduates. A quantitative vignette or factorial survey approach was used in the study. Three questionnaires, containing a subset of vignettes representing different factors of the situational variable, were administered to respondents. A range of statistical analysis methods namely Pearson’s correlation, hierarchical regression, T-tests and one-way ANOVA was used to test the sixteen (16) proposed hypotheses. Results indicate that none of the examined demographic variables had a significant influence on the propensity to engage in CWB. Of the five work values examined, only three had a significant influence on the propensity to engage in CWB. The hypothesized relationships between group behavioral norms and the propensity to engage in CWB received little overall support. In addition, post- hoc interviews found that the study was affected by social desirability bias, Hawthorne effect as well as limitations in design.