Deviant and Criminal Behavior in the Workplace PSYCHOLOGY AND CRIME General Editors: Brian Bornstein, University of Nebraska, and Monica Miller, University of Nevada, Reno The Perversion of Youth: Controversies in the Assessment and Treatment of Juvenile Sex Offenders Frank C. DiCataldo Jury Decision Making: The State of the Science Dennis J. Devine Deviant and Criminal Behavior in the Workplace Edited by Steven M. Elias Deviant and Criminal Behavior in the Workplace Edited by Steven M. Elias a NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London www.nyupress.org © 2013 by New York University All rights reserved References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Deviant and criminal behavior in the workplace / edited by Steven M. Elias. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8147-2260-2 (cl : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-8147-2261-9 (pb : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-8147-2262-6 (ebook) — ISBN 978-0-8147-2289-3 (ebook) 1. Employee crimes — Psychological aspects. 2. Problem employees — Psychology. 3. Violence in the workplace. 4. Industrial psychology. I. Elias, Steven M. HF5549.5.E43D48 2012 364.3 — dc23 2012034076 New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For Emile, Alexander, and Lucas —SME This page intentionally left blank Contents Preface ix Part I: Introduction 1 Conceptual Foundations: Insights from Criminology 3 and the Sociology of Work Randy Hodson and Gary F. Jensen Part II: Employee Characteristics Associated with Deviant Workplace Behavior 2 Emotions and Deviance 19 Rebecca Michalak and Neal M. Ashkanasy 3 Born to Be Deviant? An Examination of the Relationship 50 between Workplace Deviance and Employee Personality Christine A. Henle and Michael A. Gross 4 The Role of Occupational Stress in Workplace Deviance 77 Sharon L. Grant Part III: Organizational Influences on Deviant Workplace Behavior 5 Accounting in Organizational Environments: 101 Contextualizing Rules and Fraud William L. Smith, Brandon Hill Haines, and Cindy L. Seipel 6 Human Resource Management and Deviant/Criminal 128 Behavior in Organizations Philip G. Benson, Glennis M. Hanley, and Wesley A. Scroggins >> vii viii << Contents Part IV: The Role of (In)Justice and Social Power in Deviant Workplace Behavior 7 Hazards of Justice: Egocentric Bias, Moral Judgments, 155 and Revenge-Seeking Russell Cropanzano and Carolina Moliner 8 The Role of Social Power in Sexual Harassment 178 and Job Discrimination Steven M. Elias, Lindsey A. Gibson, and Chet E. Barney Part V: Violence in the Workplace 9 When Employees Turn Violent: The Potential Role 197 of Workplace Culture in Triggering Deviant Behavior Ricky W. Griffin and Yvette P. Lopez 10 Workplace Violence: Prevention and Aftermath 221 Allen K. Hess and Clara E. Hess About the Contributors 247 Index 255 Preface Several years ago, Allen K. Hess contacted me and asked if I would be inter- ested in editing a book on deviant workplace behavior. Allen, up until his untimely death in 2010, was the Psychology & Crime Series editor for NYU Press. How important a topic is deviant workplace behavior? All one need do is turn on the evening news or read a local newspaper to be reminded of the fact that deviant and criminal behavior are common occurrences in the work- place. Indeed, most employees have either witnessed or engaged in some form of counterproductive, insidious, abhorrent, or illegal behavior while on the job. Be it a CEO who “cooks the books,” an hourly wage employee who “bor- rows” office supplies, or a disgruntled employee who commits a heinous act of violence, inappropriate behavior at work is pandemic. As Allen once told me, “Crime in the workplace extends from the mailroom to the boardroom.” I believe, as Allen did, that gaining insight into the psychological and organi- zational causes of deviant and criminal behavior in the workplace will make a significant contribution to a number of disciplines, as well as society in general. An interaction between psychological and organizational factors is almost always involved when an employee engages in deviant and/or criminal behavior in the workplace. Unfortunately, given the overabundance of psy- chological factors linked to such behavior in these environments, it is impos- sible for a single book to address every topic of importance and relevance to the subject. However, a review of the academic literature and popular press will reveal several trends that are informative in terms of ensuring the topics selected for inclusion make a significant contribution. In chapter 1 of this volume, Randy Hodson and Gary F. Jensen provide a wonderful overview of criminology and the sociology of work in relation to deviant workplace behavior. Two noteworthy points from this chapter are worth mentioning here. First, the authors convincingly point out the fact that research and attention focusing on crime in the workplace is lacking. Second, they note that injustice and abuses of power are frequently at work when deviant workplace behavior occurs. This point resonates throughout this volume. >> ix