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When does job dissatisfaction lead to deviant behaviour? The critical roles of abusive supervision and adaptive humour

Author

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  • Dirk De Clercq

    (Goodman School of Business, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada)

  • Inam Ul Haq

    (Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan)

  • Muhammad Umer Azeem

    (School of Business and Economics, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan)

Abstract

With a basis in conservation of resources theory, this study investigates the relationship between employees’ sense of job dissatisfaction and their engagement in deviant behaviour, as well as the moderating roles that their exposure to abusive leadership and possession of adaptive humour skills can play in this process. Based on two-way survey data collected from employees in Pakistan, the findings show that employees’ unhappy feelings about their job situations enhance the likelihood that they undertake negative behaviours that can harm their organization, especially when they suffer from abusive leadership or lack adaptive humour skills. The buffering effect of their adaptive humour on the positive relationship between job dissatisfaction and deviant behaviour is also particularly salient in the presence of abusive leadership. JEL Classification: D23, D91, M50

Suggested Citation

  • Dirk De Clercq & Inam Ul Haq & Muhammad Umer Azeem, 2020. "When does job dissatisfaction lead to deviant behaviour? The critical roles of abusive supervision and adaptive humour," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 45(2), pages 294-316, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ausman:v:45:y:2020:i:2:p:294-316
    DOI: 10.1177/0312896219877679
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tan Fee Yean & Johanim Johari & Khulida Kirana Yahya & Tay Lee Chin, 2022. "Determinants of Job Dissatisfaction and Its Impact on the Counterproductive Work Behavior of University Staff," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, September.
    2. Muhammad Azeem Qureshi & Muhammad Sufyan Ramish & Junaid Ansari & Muhammad Adnan Bashir, 2022. "Leader’s Toxicity at Workplace: How Leader’s Decadence Affect Employees? A Pakistani Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Abusive supervision; adaptive humour; conservation of resources theory; deviant behaviour; job dissatisfaction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General

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