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Drawing on the labelling process in reactions to deviance, a model of the interplay of a coworker’s extra-organizational deviance and an individual’s reactions to that coworker has been developed. Three studies were conducted to further explore the model in order to more fully understand the phenomenon of extra-organizational deviance. The first study (n=12) was exploratory in nature. It established the relevance of extra-organizational deviance in individuals’ work lives and highlighted the detrimental effect that behaviours outside of work could have at work. It also highlighted the potential for beneficial outcomes in situations of positive extra-organizational deviance. The second study (n=120) was a vignette study that demonstrated significant differences when looking at positive and negative extra-organizational deviance for both attitudinal and behavioural reactions. In this study, when individuals learned of their coworker’s negative extra-organizational deviance, perceptions of trust, trustworthiness, and liking all decreased, as did helping. There were no corresponding significant results when individuals learned of their coworker’s positive extra-organizational deviance. The second study also demonstrated the moderating effects of high initial levels of liking and competence under different circumstances. The third study (n=21) provided a more detailed look at the variables in the second study by concentrating on actual situations of extra-organizational deviance that participants had experienced. This study highlighted the complexities in reactions to extra-organizational deviance, particularly as it relates to competence and liking.

Using the appraisal theory of emotion, I hypothesized a process model that depicts the effects of four negative emotions – boredom, anger, sadness, and anxiety – on two types of deviant behavior, rule-breaking and interpersonal aggression. I predicted that anger and anxiety would increase deviance in comparison to boredom, while sadness would decrease it. In addition, I argued that these effects would be mediated by physiological arousal, sensemaking, and attentional focus. I tested my model across three experiments (total N = 430), each of which used a different emotion induction. Overall, there was general support for the findings that anger and anxiety increase, while sadness decreases, deviant behavior. In addition, I found support for the hypothesized effects of emotion on arousal and sensemaking. However, there was no support for predictions regarding attentional focus or any indirect effects. Thus, the most significant finding was that sadness decreased deviant behavior, which emphasizes the importance of differentiating among different negative emotions when examining deviant behavior. Further implications are discussed.

Workplace deviance behaviour has resulted in 20% of business failure and annual loss of $6-$200 billion in US organizations and it was found that 33% to 75% of employees engage in deviant activities like withdrawal, theft, production deviance, abuse of co-workers etc., (Coffin, 2003; Diefendorff & Mehta, 2007). In addition, several researchers have concentrated on constructive deviance that would benefit the organizations. Thus, deviance has been a topic of interest for many researchers. However, previous research on deviance behaviour has concentrated predominantly in the USA despite proof that Indian organizations are indeed affected by workplace deviance (Pradhan & Pradhan, 2014) and on destructive or constructive deviance. In addition, from the deviance perspective, surprisingly no study so far has examined the presence and effects of individualism and collectivism within the same culture at the individual level. To contribute towards the extant deviance literature and to fill in the aforementioned gaps, this PhD thesis develops and tests a model using social cognitive theory as a lens to determine the relationship between environment, personality and behavioural outcomes of an individual. It incorporates workplace destructive and constructive deviance in the same study with individualistic and collectivistic orientation of individuals as moderators in India and the USA. What is the relationship of organizational and individual determinants with workplace destructive and constructive deviance when individual cultural orientation acts as a moderator? For this purpose, this research first determines the various factors that will be considered in the model by reviewing previous research done on workplace deviance. It was found that organizational climate, though it contributes to deviance behaviour in the workplace, has not yet been extensively researched so, climate was one of the factors examined in the research. In addition and despite its importance, an individual witness perspective towards deviance is still in its infancy. What are the behavioural responses of an individual while being a witness to supervisor, organizational, co-worker involvement in workplace destructive deviance? Therefore, the present study extended, developed and validated a construct to define and measure the witness behaviour towards workplace deviance behaviour using the theory of planned behaviour as its theoretical lens. This construct formed the second factor to be included in the model. This research makes use of the multi-strategy research paradigm that consists of two main studies: Study 2, 3 and 4 involves the development and validation of the witness behaviour towards workplace deviance scale; Study 5 involves the development and testing of a theoretical framework. Study 2 to 4 made use of a mixed methods strategy and inductive approach where the results from analysing the qualitative one-to-one interviews conducted in India and the USA formed the basis of scale construction. The scale, after undergoing rigorous analysis by using the quantitative data collected from India and the USA, resulted in a two-dimensional self-serving and intervening behaviour 9-item measure that proved to be a universal construct. It was then validated for construct, discriminant and predictive validity to classify it within the nomological network. It was found to sit closer to the phenomenon of voluntary behaviours, thus contributing to deviance and scale development literature. Study 5 involved the development of a conceptual framework that was tested with the quantitative data collected from India and the USA. The results provided support that when an individual has high organizational climate experience as well as more self-serving and less intervening behaviour, he/she would be involved in more constructive and destructive deviance behaviour providing support that organizations should focus on these factors and a clear distinction should be made between negative and positive deviance accepted within the organization. The results also provided support that individualistic and collectivistic orientation of an individual did moderate the effect of organizational climate, self-serving and intervening behaviour with destructive and constructive deviance. Therefore, an individual's orientation to individualism and collectivism would influence the relationship of organizational climate and witness behaviour towards workplace deviance so that organizations may benefit from implementing the study findings and suggestions. This would then prevent individuals from becoming involved in destructive deviance and enhance their involvement in constructive deviance.

In the current dissertation I investigated how abusive supervision promoted subordinate organizational deviance, by integrating and extending past work on mixed relationships (relationships characterized by both conflict and support) and self-determination theory. Past work on mixed relationships has suggested that positive and negative characteristics can co-exist within the same supervisor-subordinate relationship. Based on this, I argued that abusive supervisory behaviors would occur within high quality supervisor-subordinate relationships (i.e., high leader-member exchange, or LMX). Moreover, as mistreatment within a high quality relationship is likely to violate expectations and thus be experienced more intensely, I hypothesized that the effects of abusive supervision were more pronounced within a high quality supervisor-subordinate context. Beyond testing this interaction, I also examined the underlying psychological mechanisms through which abusive supervision and its interaction with LMX affected subordinate organizational deviance. Applying self-determination theory, I hypothesized that subordinate basic need satisfaction mediated the effects of abusive supervision and its interaction with LMX on subordinate organizational deviance. These hypotheses were tested in three multi-wave studies. In Study 1, data from 268 full-time employees were collected across two waves. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that abusive supervision and LMX were two independent constructs. In addition, hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that LMX moderated the relation between abusive supervision and subordinate organizational deviance, such that the relationship was exacerbated when LMX was high rather than low. To replicate these findings and investigate the mediating role of needs, I conducted a follow up study. Data from 256 full-time employees were collected across three waves. Using Edwards and Lambert’s approach to test mediated moderation models, I demonstrated that: 1) LMX moderated the relation between abusive supervision and subordinate basic need satisfaction, such that high LMX exacerbated the negative relation; and 2) basic need satisfaction mediated the moderating effect of LMX on the abusive supervision and organizational deviance relation, such that the mediating effects of basic need satisfaction was stronger when LMX was high rather than low. One limitation of Study 2 was that commonly investigated mediators of the relation between abusive supervision and organizational deviance were not controlled. To address this issue, I conducted a constructive replication of Study 2, including two alternative mediating mechanisms: justice perceptions and organizational social exchange. In Study 3, data from 260 full-time employees were collected across three waves. The results replicated Study 2 and demonstrated that when alternative mediators were included, basic need satisfaction remained the only significant mediating mechanism. The results from these three studies were discussed in terms of their theoretical implications to the abusive supervision and mixed supervisor-subordinate relationship literature. As well, the practical implications of the mediated moderation model tested in the current dissertation were discussed.

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In the current dissertation I investigated how abusive supervision promoted subordinate organizational deviance, by integrating and extending past work on mixed relationships (relationships characterized by both conflict and support) and self-determination theory. Past work on mixed relationships has suggested that positive and negative characteristics can co-exist within the same supervisor-subordinate relationship. Based on this, I argued that abusive supervisory behaviors would occur within high quality supervisor-subordinate relationships (i.e., high leader-member exchange, or LMX). Moreover, as mistreatment within a high quality relationship is likely to violate expectations and thus be experienced more intensely, I hypothesized that the effects of abusive supervision were more pronounced within a high quality supervisor-subordinate context. Beyond testing this interaction, I also examined the underlying psychological mechanisms through which abusive supervision and its interaction with LMX affected subordinate organizational deviance. Applying self-determination theory, I hypothesized that subordinate basic need satisfaction mediated the effects of abusive supervision and its interaction with LMX on subordinate organizational deviance. These hypotheses were tested in three multi-wave studies. In Study 1, data from 268 full-time employees were collected across two waves. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that abusive supervision and LMX were two independent constructs. In addition, hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that LMX moderated the relation between abusive supervision and subordinate organizational deviance, such that the relationship was exacerbated when LMX was high rather than low. To replicate these findings and investigate the mediating role of needs, I conducted a follow up study. Data from 256 full-time employees were collected across three waves. Using Edwards and Lambert’s approach to test mediated moderation models, I demonstrated that: 1) LMX moderated the relation between abusive supervision and subordinate basic need satisfaction, such that high LMX exacerbated the negative relation; and 2) basic need satisfaction mediated the moderating effect of LMX on the abusive supervision and organizational deviance relation, such that the mediating effects of basic need satisfaction was stronger when LMX was high rather than low. One limitation of Study 2 was that commonly investigated mediators of the relation between abusive supervision and organizational deviance were not controlled. To address this issue, I conducted a constructive replication of Study 2, including two alternative mediating mechanisms: justice perceptions and organizational social exchange. In Study 3, data from 260 full-time employees were collected across three waves. The results replicated Study 2 and demonstrated that when alternative mediators were included, basic need satisfaction remained the only significant mediating mechanism. The results from these three studies were discussed in terms of their theoretical implications to the abusive supervision and mixed supervisor-subordinate relationship literature. As well, the practical implications of the mediated moderation model tested in the current dissertation were discussed.

Drawing on the labelling process in reactions to deviance, a model of the interplay of a coworker’s extra-organizational deviance and an individual’s reactions to that coworker has been developed. Three studies were conducted to further explore the model in order to more fully understand the phenomenon of extra-organizational deviance. The first study (n=12) was exploratory in nature. It established the relevance of extra-organizational deviance in individuals’ work lives and highlighted the detrimental effect that behaviours outside of work could have at work. It also highlighted the potential for beneficial outcomes in situations of positive extra-organizational deviance. The second study (n=120) was a vignette study that demonstrated significant differences when looking at positive and negative extra-organizational deviance for both attitudinal and behavioural reactions. In this study, when individuals learned of their coworker’s negative extra-organizational deviance, perceptions of trust, trustworthiness, and liking all decreased, as did helping. There were no corresponding significant results when individuals learned of their coworker’s positive extra-organizational deviance. The second study also demonstrated the moderating effects of high initial levels of liking and competence under different circumstances. The third study (n=21) provided a more detailed look at the variables in the second study by concentrating on actual situations of extra-organizational deviance that participants had experienced. This study highlighted the complexities in reactions to extra-organizational deviance, particularly as it relates to competence and liking.

<p>This dissertation begins from one central claim about the understanding of social life - that the unit of analysis most appropriate for the task of sociology is the joint act (Blumer, 1969). If we are to understand social life, then we must take our social science to people and their accomplishments.</p> <p>My research attends to one specific set of accomplishments: the designation of the objects of our worlds as appropriate or inappropriate. This, I argue, is the essential quality of the social dramas which accompany the designation of deviance. promoting definitions of This extended process of the appropriate and the inappropriate, I refer to as the process of championing. Championing is built upon the accomplishments of Becker's (1973) labeling theory, yet carries with it a critique of this tradition. Championing is my attempt to examine the generic dimensions of deviance designation.</p> <p>My theoretical claims find their empirical application in a study of one group of champions - the actors who comprise the Christian Heritage Party of Canada. Within this group we find those who promote their religious based definitions of the way the world ought to be within the setting of Canadian electoral politics. My research examines the activities and perspectives of these actors. Attending to deviance designation as accomplished action, my work examines the perspectives of actors, their careers of involvements, the symbolic relevances of political policy, and the sales dimensions of political recruitment.</p> <p>My work is derived from a phenomenological interactionism. It confronts the social world with a methodology of participant observation and interview and a naturalistic respect for an understanding of life as it is lived. The sociology of deviance is a sociology of everyday life.</p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Master of Arts / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / L. Susan Williams / This study builds on a small but growing field of scholarship, arguing that certain nonnormative behavior is also non-negative, a concept referred to as positive deviance. This thesis examines positive behaviors, in the form of altruism, in the top 10 box-office animated movies of all time. Historically, studies focusing on negative, violent, and criminal behaviors garner much attention. Media violence is targeted as a cause for increasing violence, aggression, and antisocial behavior in youth; thousands of studies demonstrate that media violence especially influences children, a vulnerable group. Virtually no studies address the use of positive deviance in children’s movies. Using quantitative and ethnographic analysis, this paper yields three important findings. 1. Positive behaviors, in the form of altruism, are liberally displayed in children’s animated movies. 2. Altruism does not align perfectly with group loyalty. 3. Risk of life is used as a tool to portray altruism and is portrayed at critical, climactic, and memorable moments, specifically as movies draw to conclusion. Previous studies demonstrate that children are especially susceptible to both negativity and optimistic biases, underscoring the importance of messages portrayed in children’s movies. This study recommends that scholars and moviemakers consciously address the appearance and timing of positive deviance.