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(1 - 8 of 8)
- Title
- EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING: POSITIVE EFFECTS OF DEVIANT COWORKERS.
- Creator
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Markova, Gergana, Folger, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study was to recognize and explore the reactions of employees to a deviant coworker. Specifically, I focused on the potential positive effects for employees who are in the presence of a coworker perceived as deviant, dysfunctional, or negative. Consistent with a labeling perspective on deviance, I argued that an employee may become a deviant as a result of social construction, fostered either by observed norm violations or the perceived dissimilarity of this person....
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to recognize and explore the reactions of employees to a deviant coworker. Specifically, I focused on the potential positive effects for employees who are in the presence of a coworker perceived as deviant, dysfunctional, or negative. Consistent with a labeling perspective on deviance, I argued that an employee may become a deviant as a result of social construction, fostered either by observed norm violations or the perceived dissimilarity of this person. Drawing on diverse theories from social psychology and sociology, I hypothesized that in the presence of a deviant coworker, other employees may have enhanced self-evaluations, better role clarity, and improved cohesiveness in work units. First, observers can set a contrast with the deviant and draw positive conclusions about themselves. Second, the "bad apple" can inform employees about organizational norms and alert them about "don't do" rules on the job, thereby improving their role clarity. Finally, by derogating the deviant, non-deviant members can unite against a "common enemy" and boost work unit cohesiveness. Positive effects were also expected to be contingent on individual characteristics and situational factors. In particular, social comparison orientation, coworkers' salience, and agreement about the deviant were hypothesized to strengthen observers' reactions to the deviant. The character of the deviant label and job interdependence, however, were expected to have a more complicated moderating role on the deviant's influence. Two samples generated from separate data collections were used to test the hypotheses. The positive relationship between the deviant's presence and employees' self-evaluations was supported. For employees with more interdependent jobs, role clarity was also positively associated with the presence of a deviant coworker. Contrary to predictions, cohesiveness was found to be lower for work units with a deviant employee at both individual and aggregate levels. Conceptual and empirical pitfalls relevant to the non-significant or opposite-to-prediction relationships are addressed. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001011, ucf:46843
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001011
- Title
- IN SEARCH OF SATANISTS: EXAMINING THE ACCOUNTS OF DEVIANT RELIGIOUS PRACTITIONERS.
- Creator
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McDaniel, Chris, Lynxwiler, John, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Despite the glut of literature focusing on numerous aspects of mainline American religious life, there is a surprising dearth of information regarding deviant religious practitioners. Importantly, there remains a lack of focus on the specificities of religious and spiritual deviance, and the accounts of those who engage in such practices. This exploratory study closely examines the members of one such religion; specifically, the Church of Satan. Despite the stigma associated with Satanism,...
Show moreDespite the glut of literature focusing on numerous aspects of mainline American religious life, there is a surprising dearth of information regarding deviant religious practitioners. Importantly, there remains a lack of focus on the specificities of religious and spiritual deviance, and the accounts of those who engage in such practices. This exploratory study closely examines the members of one such religion; specifically, the Church of Satan. Despite the stigma associated with Satanism, individuals continue to willfully engage in such practices. Research uses face-to-face, semi-structured interviews to better discern the rationale behind Satanic worship as understood by modern-day believers. Particular attention is given to the accounts of Satanists to examine motivations for engaging in such practices, as well as identity management techniques for dealing with potential stigma. Results of the analysis show that Satanists utilize a variety of accounts when speaking about their spiritual choices and the potential stigma that surrounds such choices. These results are discussed and directions for additional research are presented.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003915, ucf:48716
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003915
- Title
- (")Why You Gotta Be So Mean?(") Examining The Impact Of Underlying Social Factors On Traditional And Cyberbullying Offending.
- Creator
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Strohacker, Emily, Huff-Corzine, Lin, Corzine, Harold, Hinojosa, Melanie, Bachmann, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Instances of traditional school yard bullying among adolescents have been examined by researchers for decades. More recently, cyberbullying has been introduced among adolescents and has begun to be seen as a counterpart to traditional offending behaviors. Scholars have examined the rates of these types of offending, as well as the negative outcomes that result from victimization. However, studies examining the underlying factors that lead to these types of offending, specifically a comparison...
Show moreInstances of traditional school yard bullying among adolescents have been examined by researchers for decades. More recently, cyberbullying has been introduced among adolescents and has begun to be seen as a counterpart to traditional offending behaviors. Scholars have examined the rates of these types of offending, as well as the negative outcomes that result from victimization. However, studies examining the underlying factors that lead to these types of offending, specifically a comparison and combination of the two, are few and far between. This research examines how factors of strain, association with deviant peers, alcohol and/or drug use, and time spent with friends may influence an adolescent's likelihood to engage in any or all offending behaviors. Data are from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children for which a national sample of 12,642 adolescents aged 10 to 17 years, in grades 5 through 10 were surveyed during the 2009-2010 school year, to assess behaviors that have been linked to health-risks among adolescents. Results indicate that specific factors of strain, drug and/or alcohol use, deviant peers, and time spent with peers significantly impact cyberbullying offending, traditional bullying offending, and both types of offending combined, among adolescents. The findings show that further action should be taken to reduce rates of all types of bullying among adolescents in schools and homes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006666, ucf:51237
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006666
- Title
- ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE AND WORKPLACE DEVIANCE: THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, POWERLESSNESS, AND INFORMATION SALIENCE.
- Creator
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McCardle, Jie, Ambrose, Maureen, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study is to investigate both individual and structural factors in predicting workplace deviance. Deviant workplace behavior is a prevailing and costly phenomenon in organizations. It includes a wide range of negative acts conducted by employees to harm the organization and its members. In the first section, I conducted a comprehensive literature review. In the review, I first review the current state of research on the relationship between organizational justice and...
Show moreThe purpose of this study is to investigate both individual and structural factors in predicting workplace deviance. Deviant workplace behavior is a prevailing and costly phenomenon in organizations. It includes a wide range of negative acts conducted by employees to harm the organization and its members. In the first section, I conducted a comprehensive literature review. In the review, I first review the current state of research on the relationship between organizational justice and workplace deviance by presenting the various theoretical frameworks, as well as empirical findings. Next, I summarize existing research patterns and identify research challenges that must be overcome in order to advance our understanding of this topic. Finally, I offer future directions researchers should undertake in justice-deviance research. Specifically, I suggest the development of more comprehensive models that include potential moderators and mediators that may better explain how and why justice judgments can lead to deviant behaviors and when the negative effect is most damaging. In the second section, I developed a theoretical model that proposes the relationship between organizational justice, organizational structure (centralization and organicity), employee perceived powerlessness, information salience about each type of justice, and workplace deviance. In the third section, I tested the model and presented the findings. Results of HLM analysis show that (1) organizational justice, perceived powerlessness, and centralization exert direct effects on workplace deviance, (2) organicity exerts direct effects on justice information salience; (3) perceived powerlessness partially mediates the relationship between centralization and organizational deviance; (4) information salience of procedural justice strengthens the effects of procedural justice on interpersonal deviance. Conclusions are drawn from the theory and findings, highlighting implications for future workplace deviance and organizational behavior research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2007
- Identifier
- CFE0001975, ucf:47470
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001975
- Title
- AN INVESTIGATION OF PROSOCIAL RULE BREAKING WITHIN THE CASUAL RESTAURANT INDUSTRY.
- Creator
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Curtis, Catherine, Dickson, Duncan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In the hospitality industry, the role of the frontline employee is integral. These employees are the face of the organization and have a strong role in shaping and forming the opinions of consumers by way of their product and service delivery. Therefore, the decisions an employee makes during the product or service delivery is critical in maintaining the relationship with the customer. Employees may be faced with opportunities to better service a customer at the cost of breaking an...
Show moreIn the hospitality industry, the role of the frontline employee is integral. These employees are the face of the organization and have a strong role in shaping and forming the opinions of consumers by way of their product and service delivery. Therefore, the decisions an employee makes during the product or service delivery is critical in maintaining the relationship with the customer. Employees may be faced with opportunities to better service a customer at the cost of breaking an organizational rule or procedure. When an employee is faced with this dilemma and decides to break the rule on the behalf of the customer knowing the risks involved, this is called prosocial rule breaking. One distinct difference between this concept and general rule breaking is that this is performed as a nonselfish gesture; the employee does not receive any personal benefit. To examine this further, this study investigated the overall propensity to participate in prosocial rule breaking and the impact of the Big Five personality dimensions on prosocial rule breaking. To gain a better understanding of these constructs, a review of literature related to ethical decision making, prosocial behavior, and the five factor theory of personality was conducted. To investigate the research objectives, a purposive sample of frontline employees from a nationally branded restaurant chain completed a four part self-administered questionnaire by answering questions on the five factor personality dimensions through the Big Five Inventory (BFI), a restaurant based scenario followed by MorrisonÂÂ's (2006) prosocial rule breaking scale, a section on demographic information, and an open ended section for qualitative comments. Overall, three-hundred and five (305) usable questionnaires were completed and interpreted. The results demonstrated that this sample of restaurant employees revealed a moderate propensity for prosocial rule breaking. Moreover, the results revealed that the Agreeableness dimension is the most common personality dimension for this group of restaurant employees, but the Conscientiousness domain was the best predictor of oneÂÂ's propensity not to participate in prosocial rule breaking. The implications for managers from this study indicate a need for managers to recognize and encourage prosocial behaviors from their employees. They also need to understand which personality domains contribute to prosocial behavior, which can ultimately have implications for hiring, selection, and training.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003075, ucf:48316
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003075
- Title
- CRACK MOTHERS, CRACK BABIES, AND BLACK MALE DOPE DEALERS: PRODUCTIONS OF DEVIANCE DURING AMERICA'S CRACK COCAINE PANIC IN THE 1980S.
- Creator
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Yandow, Chantelle, Schippert, Claudia, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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A moral panic erupted during the 1980s among the American public when stories about crack cocaine saturated the media. In this thesis I analyze how discursive productions of deviancy operated in the CBS news documentary: 48 Hours on Crack Street (1986) and other print news sources at that time. Three salient characters that appear in news media discourse during the panic are "crack mothers," "crack babies," and "Black male dope dealers." The news media frightened the public with such...
Show moreA moral panic erupted during the 1980s among the American public when stories about crack cocaine saturated the media. In this thesis I analyze how discursive productions of deviancy operated in the CBS news documentary: 48 Hours on Crack Street (1986) and other print news sources at that time. Three salient characters that appear in news media discourse during the panic are "crack mothers," "crack babies," and "Black male dope dealers." The news media frightened the public with such representations (among others) and the public urged politicians to get tough on drug crime to control the so-called crack cocaine plague. Politicians responded with omnibus drug reforms that established mandatory minimum sentences and the controversial 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. The enforcement of the draconian drug laws that were passed in response to the crack cocaine panic continues to be a contributing factor to America's current prison crisis. Moreover, the laws are enforced in ways that disproportionately punish the poor and African-Americans. I conclude that the criminal disenfranchisement of millions of people since the 1980s relates to the media's representation of the crack cocaine "epidemic" and the legislation that was passed to control illicit drugs such as crack cocaine.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFH0003822, ucf:44758
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003822
- Title
- A DEVIANCE REGULATION THEORY INTERVENTION TO REDUCE ALCOHOL PROBLEMS AMONG FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS.
- Creator
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Leary, Angelina V, Dvorak, Robert, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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OBJECTIVE: An alcohol-drinking culture exists among first-time-in-college students, where many of these students come to their university relatively inexperienced with alcohol, which may increase alcohol-related consequences. Several interventions exist to combat this campus problem. The current study investigates the use of a Deviance Regulation Theory (DRT) intervention, presented in a web-based manner, to increase alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), such as monitoring drinks,...
Show moreOBJECTIVE: An alcohol-drinking culture exists among first-time-in-college students, where many of these students come to their university relatively inexperienced with alcohol, which may increase alcohol-related consequences. Several interventions exist to combat this campus problem. The current study investigates the use of a Deviance Regulation Theory (DRT) intervention, presented in a web-based manner, to increase alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), such as monitoring drinks, using a designated driver, and drinking water in between alcoholic beverages, among college freshmen. METHOD: College freshmen participants (N = 157) completed web-based surveys examining alcohol behaviors once a week for six weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a positive frame about individuals who used PBS, a negative frame about individuals who did not use PBS, or a control group that did not receive a DRT intervention. Participants also reported their perception of PBS use among UCF students and friend. Data was analyzed in each PBS subtype: Manner of Drinking, Stop/Limiting Drinking, and Serious Harm Reduction. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Results indicate a negatively framed message with high perceived norm levels results in increased PBS use, which may suggest college freshmen have a strong drive to "fit in", or avoid standing out in negative ways. Further, there seems to be little desire to standout in positive ways among first-year students. This may be indicative of individuals who modify their behavior in order to assimilate to a new and unfamiliar environment. Furthermore, some PBS strategies were associated with decreases in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Results suggest a DRT intervention may be beneficial to first-time-in-college students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000427, ucf:45715
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000427
- Title
- Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Justice, and Affect: A Meta-Analysis.
- Creator
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Cochran, Megan, Joseph, Dana, Fritzsche, Barbara, Jentsch, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) are an expensive phenomenon for organizations, costing billions of dollars collectively each year. Recent research has focused on justice perceptions as predictors of CWBs, but little research has been conducted on the specific types of counterproductive work behaviors (i.e., sabotage, withdrawal, production deviance, abuse, and theft) that result from specific organizational justice perceptions (i.e., distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and...
Show moreCounterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) are an expensive phenomenon for organizations, costing billions of dollars collectively each year. Recent research has focused on justice perceptions as predictors of CWBs, but little research has been conducted on the specific types of counterproductive work behaviors (i.e., sabotage, withdrawal, production deviance, abuse, and theft) that result from specific organizational justice perceptions (i.e., distributive, procedural, interpersonal, and informational) and the mediating effect of state affect. The current paper meta-analyzed the relationships between justice, CWB, and state affect and found that justice was negatively related to dimensions of CWB and state positive/negative affect were negatively/positively related to CWB dimensions, respectively. However, mediation of the relationship between justice and CWB by state affect was inconsistent across justice types and CWB dimensions. These findings suggests that, while managers should maintain an awareness of justice and state affect as individual predictors of CWBs, the current study does not necessarily support the claim that state affect explains the relationship between justice and counterproductive work behavior dimensions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005151, ucf:50689
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005151
