Designing a Model for Managing Deviant Behaviors in the Workplace in the Islamic Azad University

One of the important issues in organizational management is to study the patterns of control, supervision, and protection of employees and human capital from deviant work behaviors that change organizational norms and threaten the health of the organization and its employees. Deviant behaviors in the workplace can be costly for organizations if they are not constructive. Loss of organizational resources, reduction of employee productivity, reduction of organizational performance, disorder, injustice, stress, etc. are some of the adverse consequences of deviant behaviors that can be eliminated if we pay attention and identify solutions to them. Behaviors, or even constructive behaviors, can lead to health, productivity, and creativity throughout the organization. They provide circumstances that will make the organization much more active to compete with other organizations. Now that more than a few decades have passed since the beginning of research on deviant behaviors in the workplace, its importance is becoming more and more evident. The purpose of this study was to design a model for managing deviant behaviors in the workplace at the Islamic Azad University.

The present study was a qualitative researche and its data collection approach was based on the grounded theory. The required data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 20 experts and specialists in the field of management and organization, university professors, and senior university administrators, who were selected by the theoretical sampling method. Using Strauss and Corben’s method, a set of basic themes was collected during re-coding and the categories were extracted from them. Then, in the axial coding stage, the relationship between these categories was determined under the headings of causal conditions, axial phenomena, strategies, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, and consequences. To evaluate validity of the qualitative data, reliability, transferability, reliability, verifiability, authenticity, and criteria, the data foundation theory, including consistency, comprehensibility, and generality, was utilized.

The interviews were examined thoroughly via a systematic method and conducted through the 3-phase coding. Overall, 999 open codes were obtained. The classification of codes continued and they were reduced to 666 codes in the central phenomenon phase. Then, they were reduced to 25 codes in the selective phase. After the experts confirmed the validity, one code was omitted and finally, 32 codes were considered in 6 main categories. The analysis of the interviews led to the identification of 6 main categories, which were causal conditions, phenomenon-oriented conditions, contextual conditions, interventionist conditions, strategies, and consequences. To reach these categories, first, each interview was analyzed. Then, the codes extracted from the interviews were categorized in open and centralized coding. Finally, the central codes were included in the 6 categories based on the foundation's data method. The research findings included identification of the causal factors, underlying factors, interfering factors, pivotal phenomena, strategies, and consequences of deviant behaviors in the workplace. Causal conditions included: 1) job and organizational attitudes; 2) organizational factors; 3) individual factors; 4) management weakness; 5)existence of power networks; 6) authoritarian leadership; 7) weakness of organizational resource management systems; and 8) unhealthy physical and mental atmosphere of the workplace. Axial phenomena for managing deviant behaviors in the workplace and intervening conditions included: 1) personality traits; 2) beneficial behaviors; 3) political factors; 4) job position; and 5) university environment. Background conditions included: 1) weak organizational culture; 2) political behavior of officials; 3) not meeting the needs of employees; 4) social factors; and 5) cultural factors. Strategies included: 1) management of deviant behaviors; 2) changing deviant behaviors; 3) and controlling deviant behaviors; Consequences included :1) improving the university situation; 2) increasing individual commitment; 3) group consequences strengthening group values; 4) cultural consequences strengthening organizational culture; and 5) social consequences increasing social capital.