Sticking out like a sore thumb: Employee dissimilarity and deviance at work

Hui Liao, Aparna Joshi, Aichia Chuang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

239 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined demographic- and personality-based employee dissimilarities in relation to organizational and interpersonal deviant behaviors. Perceived organizational support (POS), organizational commitment, perceived coworker support, and coworker satisfaction were proposed as mediators. The results revealed that dissimilarities in ethnicity, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience were significantly related to organizational deviance; dissimilarities in gender, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion were significantly related to interpersonal deviance. In addition, ethnic dissimilarity negatively predicted POS and organizational commitment, age dissimilarity positively predicted perceived coworker support, Extraversion dissimilarity positively predicted coworker satisfaction, Agreeableness dissimilarity negatively predicted POS, and Openness to Experience dissimilarity negatively predicted POS, organizational commitment, perceived coworker support, and coworker satisfaction. Finally, POS partially mediated the relationship between Agreeableness dissimilarity and organizational deviance. Interpretations of results, implications for management, and future research are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)969-1000
Number of pages32
JournalPersonnel Psychology
Volume57
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Applied Psychology
  • Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

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