...important workplace issues that receive less attention among organizational scholars is workplace deviant behavior. The concept of workplace deviance in recent years has generated high interest among organizational researchers and practitioners because of its pervasiveness in organizations. Some forms of workplace deviance includes absenteeism, abusing sick day privileges, abusing drugs and alcohol, filing fake accident claims, sabotaging, breaking organizations’ rules, withholding effort, stealing, taking long breaks, working slowly, harassing other employees and hiding needed resources. This paper investigates the nature of deviant workplace behaviors and its impact on organizations. The purpose is to broaden the research in organizational studies by focusing not only on deviant behaviors that are negative, but on those that are positive as well. Furthermore, this article examines different types of both positive and negative deviant workplace behaviors, along with some of the reasons why managers/employees engage in such behaviors. Also, some of the reasons why organizations allow negative deviant behaviors to thrive, while discouraging positive deviant behaviors are investigated. Lastly, possible solutions to overcome problems arising from negative deviance in the workplace will be examined, along with how organizations can encourage positive deviant behaviors. ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOR Organizational Behavior (OB) a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals...
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...What Is Deviance? The word deviance connotes odd or unacceptable behavior, but in the sociological sense of the word, deviance is simply any violation of society’s norms. Deviance can range from something minor, such as a traffic violation, to something major, such as murder. Each society defines what is deviant and what is not, and definitions of deviance differ widely between societies. For example, some societies have much more stringent rules regarding gender roles than we have in the United States, and still other societies’ rules governing gender roles are less stringent than ours. Gender and Deviance In the United States, women who cry in public in response to emotional situations are not generally considered deviant—even women who cry frequently and easily. This view of women has remained relatively constant. Over the past fifty years, however, society’s perception of men who cry has changed. A man who cried publicly in the 1950s would have been considered deviant. Today, men who cry in response to extreme emotional situations are acting within society’s norms. Male politicians cry when announcing defeat, male athletes cry after winning a championship, and male actors cry after winning an award. By today’s standards, none of these men is committing a deviant act. Relativism and Deviance Deviance is a relative issue, and standards for deviance change based on a number of factors, including the following: * Location: A person speaking loudly during a church service...
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...Criminology: Functionalist perspective on crime and deviance The functionalist approach to analyzing deviance and the causes of crime looks at society as a whole. It explains crime and deviance by saying that the source of deviance lies in the nature of society itself rather than in psychology or biology. It should be noted that functionalists see deviance as an inevitable and necessary part of society. Some also consider deviance to have positive aspects for society. Emile Durkheim Durkheim argued in The Rules of Sociological Method that a certain level of crime was inevitable within any society. In fact it is normal and 'an integral part of all healthy societies’. The reason that deviance is inevitable is that not everyone is equally committed to the collective values and moral beliefs of society. There will always be disagreement and dissent. In addition, deviance can act in a positive way in that it helps to reinforce ideas of right and wrong in society. It reinforces ‘collective sentiments’ in society. Problems with deviance arise when the level of crime becomes too great as this can threaten social stability. Durkheim considered that deviance acts as a catalyst for social change in society. Change occurs because what was thought deviant previously is now considered acceptable. In this way society evolves and makes progress, which is healthy. The alternative would be stagnation and atrophy with no development. Indeed, Durkheim viewed societies where crime levels were...
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...Deviance In All Its Glory Marcos Antonios Sociology 101-01 Susan J. Quade Ulster County Community College Abstract Humans have always ineptly had some form of deviance in their nature as it is something that has contributed multiple times to the structure of any society and their views. The terms “good” or “bad” deviances are more so labels branded from the current society’s views on what is and isn’t accepted. At its core deviance can be hard to measure and examine as it forms from many different personas and behavioral ways. What is true however is that acts viewed as deviance has changed many times throughout recorded history. While interracial marriages at one time may have been labeled a negative deviance in the U.S., today it does not seem to be a problem. Just as the world has constantly evolved in many ways, so too has the area of deviance and what is recognized as being deviant. With technology progressing so rapidly it seems to have given birth to whole new deviances. Deviances and the people linked to them will always stand out, be they for better or worse. Today’s world is no different as deviances come in many forms, and with it come the opinions of many as well regardless if they’re negative or positive. Perhaps one of the commonly most misconstrued ideas is that deviance and crime related incidents are one in the same. However one must remember that crime is the act of breaking laws set by society; deviance on the other hand is the breaking of norms...
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...Outline and explain the meaning of the term deviancy (15 marks) Deviance is a sociological term that literally means to stray or digress from the normal. Sociologists tend to view deviant behaviour as acts, which provoke a sense of public disapproval. Deviant behaviour is also frequently subject to some form of sanction that serves to promote conformity. The definition of deviance varies from sociologist as deviancy is a complex concept. Clinard and Meier (2001) developed four definitions of deviance including statistical, absolutist, reactivist and normative. Anthony Giddens (1993) defines deviance as “non-conformity to a given norm, or set of norms, which are acceptable by a significant number of people in a community or society.” Whereas Downs and Rock (1998) claim that deviancy is “banned or controlled behaviour which is likely to attract punishment or approval” and finally, Wickmen (1991) states that “behaviour that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society” is deviant. Ken Plummer defines where there is a broad consensus that an act is wrong as normative deviance, where deviancy is an act which violates prevailing norms, or cultural standards prescribing how humans ought to behave normally. Plummer also defines situational deviance as occurring when deviant behaviour is understandable in its context, such as running naked from a burning building. The rules of each society vary; this is a basic sociological and anthropological concept known...
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...Chapter Eight: Deviance and Social Control Chapter Summary Sociologists use the term deviance to refer to any violation of rules and norms. From a sociological perspective, deviance is relative. Definitions of “what is deviant” vary across societies and from one group to another within the same society. Howard S. Becker described the interpretation of deviance as, “…not the act itself, but the reaction to the act that makes something deviant.” This coincides with the symbolic interactionist view. In some cases, an individual need not do anything to be labeled a deviant. He or she may be falsely accused or discredited because of a birth defect, race, or disease. Even crime is relative when interpreting the deviance of the actor. Deviance is based on adherence to and violation of norms. Human groups need norms to exist. By making behavior predictable, norms make social life possible. Consequently, all human groups develop a system of social control, which involves formal and informal means of enforcing norms. Those who violate these norms face the danger of being labeled “deviant.” Violators can expect to experience negative sanctions for the violation of norms. Members of society who conform to societal norms, especially those who go above and beyond what is commonly expected, receive positive sanctions. In some societies, such as the Amish, shaming is a common negative sanction that acts strongly as a means of social control, minimizing deviance. Biologists,...
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...INTRODUCTION Constructive deviance is becoming increasingly important in businesses today. What some people may not know is that it can bring about positive changes. Unlike much of the literature on workplace deviance which focuses on dysfunctional behavior such as antisocial behavior and workplace aggression, constructive deviants are employees who break the rules and norms but intend to benefit the organization. These individuals can play a key role in creating an organizational change and serve as future change agents. Given the increasing discussion on health care reforms, this paper explores the factors that relate to constructive deviance among physicians. Finally, practical implications and future research directions are discussed. II. Introduction Workplace deviance has generally been used to describe the following behaviors: antisocial behavior (Giacalone & Greenberg, 1997), workplace aggression (O’Leary-Kelly, Griffin & Glew, 1996), organizational retaliation (Skarlicki & Folger, 1997), and employee deviance (Robinson & Bennett, 1995). Although previous research has increased our understanding of the harmful effects of deviance within organizations, little research has examined the positive aspects of deviance. Constructive workplace deviance encompasses behaviors that violate significant organizational norms in order to contribute to the well-being of the organization (Galperin, 2003). Constructive deviance is becoming increasingly important...
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...Consensus structuralism theory) Functionalism is a consensus structuralism theory. Functionalists argue that there is nothing abnormal about deviance, and that it is necessary and normal in all parts of societies performing a positive function. The functions of crime and deviance (DURKEIM)Durkheim has identified a positive and a negative side to crime and deviance, it is positive in which it helps society to change and remain dynamic, whilst the negative side sees too much crime leading to social disruption. Durkheim believes that crime and deviance are inevitable and normal aspect of social life. They are inevitable because everyone cannot be equally committed to the shared values that guide ones actions, referred to as the collective consensus. He also believes that crime and deviance perform four essential functions for society: • Crime and deviance being essential for generating and sustaining morality. • Crime and deviance clarify and reaffirm the boundaries. For example by receiving retribution for a crime, such as a prison sentence, the state is making it clear that as criminal/deviant act has taken place. • Crime and deviance can promote social unity. When a crime has been committed, the entire community draws together in shared outrage, and the sense of belonging in a community is strengthened. • Crime and deviance can encourage social change by resulting in a change of shared values. This change in values can lead to a wider social change. CLINARD The...
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...illegal actions, such as, stealing money from your job, violating a traffic law, or rape, just to name a few. Although, there is a definition for deviant behavior, it can be very conflicting when trying to determine which “acts” are considered either deviant or normal. And the reason why deviant behavior is such a conflicting definition, is because everyone’s perception of what’s “normal” is not the same. To make things a little simpler you can determine whether an act is either positive deviance or negative deviance. Positive deviance is based on perspectives and the way a whole view a behavior; an example would be prophets, ministers, or as simply identifying someone as being smart. Negative deviance is considered to be not the normal for a whole; an example would be mental people, or someone being identified as stupid. Perspectives also play a key role in simplifying deviant behavior. The first one is, Positive perspective, which is considered to be traits in your genes. Positive perspectives consist of three assumptions about what deviance is: absolutism, objectivism, and determinism. The second is, Constructionist perspective, which is considered to be based on your life experiences. Constructionist perspectives consist of three assumptions about what deviance behavior is: relativism, subjectivism, and voluntarism. Last but not least there is the Anomie Strain Theory, which was developed by Robert Merton. This theory stated that a...
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...Deviance is described as being behaviour that is not part of the norms in your particular society. This can be different throughout the world because some cultures have very different norms (Stephens and Leach, 1998:17). Most deviant behaviour will attract disapproval from others in the society or punishment from authorities. There are many different types of deviance such as addiction, mental illness, alcoholism, criminality and homosexuality. Throughout this essay six types of theories will be discussed about how and why people are deviant. Four of these theories support the idea of deviance being biological and three support the idea of it being caused by your social construction. Also the essay will talk about the differences between the theories and a similarity amongst them as they don’t often agree. There are two main views that people see as to how a person becomes deviant; biologically or from a person’s social construction. The biological explanation of deviance is that it is part of who you are when you are born. Whether you are born into a long line of alcoholics or your mother has a mental illness, it is coming from your genes. There are many theories that support the biological explanation of deviance that will be explained in this essay. Some seem very unlikely and don’t have a lot of evidence but there are a lot of theorists that support this idea. The social constructionist explanation is that you become deviant from the way that you are brought up. It is...
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...FUNCTIONALISM DURKHEIM’S FUNCTIONALIST THEORY * functionalists see society as based on value consensus – it sees members of a society as sharing a common culture * sharing the same culture produces social solidarity – binding individuals together and telling them how to behave in order to achieve solidarity, SOCIETY HAS TWO KEY MECHANISMS: SOCIAL CONTROL -rewards for conformity -punishments for deviance -ensures that individuals behave in the way that society requires SOCIALISATION -instils the shared culture into its members. -insures that people internalise the same norms and values. -so they act in the way that society requires * While functionalists see too much crime as destabilising society, they also see crime as inevitable and universal. * Every known society has some level of crime and deviance – a crime free society is a contradiction in terms. * DURKHEIM: ‘’is normal... an integral part of all healthy societies’’ REASONS WHY CRIME IS FOUND IN ALL SOCIETIES: In complex modern societies, there is a diversity of lifestyles and values. Different groups develop their own subcultures with distinctive norms and values, so what a subculture sees as normal may be seen as deviant in mainstream society. In complex modern societies, there is a diversity of lifestyles and values. Different groups develop their own subcultures with distinctive norms and values, so what a subculture sees as normal may be seen as deviant in mainstream...
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...Examine the role of access to opportunity structures in causing crime and deviance (21 marks) Deviance is an act that goes against the norms and values of social construction. There are many different factors to be considered when examining opportunity structures in causing crime and deviance. Functionalists, especially Durkheim sees society as a stable system based on value consensus-shared norms, values, beliefs and goals. This produces social solidarity, binding individuals together into one harmonious unit. To achieve this, society must participate in socialisation and social control. These functionalist concepts easily link to the functionalist explanation of crime where crime is portrayed as inevitable and functional for society. Whilst crime disrupts social stability, functionalists see it as inevitable and universal. Durkheim sees crime as healthy for social as society needs some individuals who are inadequately socialised and prone to deviate. Also in highly modern societies, there is a specialized division of labour and a diversity of subcultures. Individuals and groups become increasingly different from one another, and the shared rules of behaviour become less clear. This is what is known as anomie. An example of where anomie occurs is in suicide, where rapid social change in modern society, leaves individuals unsure as to where they fit in. For Durkheim, crime fulfils two important positive functions, the first of which is boundary maintenance. Crime produces a...
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...and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of labelling theory in explaining crime and deviance’ (21 marks) Labelling theory is a micro approach that looks at how individuals construct society based on their interactions with each other (item). In terms of crime and deviance, labelling theory argues that most people commit deviant and criminal acts but only some are caught and stigmatised for it. So therefore, it is not useful to search for differences between ‘deviants’ and ‘non-deviants’ in society. Labelling theorists believe focus on crime should be understanding the reaction to and definition of deviance rather than the causes of the initial act. One labelling theorist, Becker, suggests the idea of crime as a social construct. He argues that an act only becomes deviant when it is defined as such by others, and that a criminal will only be labelled depending on society’s reaction to the crime. Becker argues that those people that have the power to create and impose their definitions on the rest of society such as the police are called moral entrepreneurs, reinforcing that crime and deviance is a construction of society. In addition to this, Becker argues that there is selective decisions as to whether to or how to deal with illegal or deviant behaviour. He calls this ‘selective law enforcement’ and suggests that police act on their own stereotypes and pre-conceptions on how to respond to the deviance and crime they come across. Labelling theorists are interested in who gets labelled...
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...Chapter Eight: Deviance and Social Control Chapter Summary Sociologists use the term deviance to refer to any violation of rules and norms. From a sociological perspective, deviance is relative. Definitions of “what is deviant” vary across societies and from one group to another within the same society. Howard S. Becker described the interpretation of deviance as, “…not the act itself, but the reaction to the act that makes something deviant.” This coincides with the symbolic interactionist view. In some cases, an individual need not do anything to be labeled a deviant. He or she may be falsely accused or discredited because of a birth defect, race, or disease. Even crime is relative when interpreting the deviance of the actor. Deviance is based on adherence to and violation of norms. Human groups need norms to exist. By making behavior predictable, norms make social life possible. Consequently, all human groups develop a system of social control, which involves formal and informal means of enforcing norms. Those who violate these norms face the danger of being labeled “deviant.” Violators can expect to experience negative sanctions for the violation of norms. Members of society who conform to societal norms, especially those who go above and beyond what is commonly expected, receive positive sanctions. In some societies, such as the Amish, shaming is a common negative sanction that acts strongly as a means of social control, minimizing deviance. Biologists, psychologists, and...
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...usefulness in explaining crime and deviance. Labelling theory claims that deviance and conformity results not so much from what people do but from how others respond to those actions, it highlights social responses to crime and deviance. Macionis and Plummer, (2005) said deviant behaviour is therefore socially constructed. The labelling theory is used as a sociological theory of crime influential in challenging positivity criminology. The key people to this theory were Becker and Lement. The foundations of this view of deviance are said to have been first established by Lement, (1951) and were subsequently developed by Becker, (1963).As a matter of fact the labelling theory has subsequently become a dominant example in the explanation of deviance. The symbolic interaction perspective was extremely active in the early foundations of the labelling theory. The labelling theory is constituted by the assumption that deviant behaviour is to be seen not simply as the violation of a norm but as any behaviour which is successfully defined or labelled as deviant. Deviance is not the act itself but the response others give to that act which means deviance is in the eyes of the beholder. Actually the labelling theory was built on Becker, (1963:9) statement that "Social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitute deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders----deviance is not a quality of the act of a person commits, but rather...
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