Misbehavior in Organizations: Theory, Research, and Management (Applied Psychology Series)

For many years, scholars aligned with mainstream research paradigms that make up organizational behavior (OB) have been leaning toward the more positive depiction of organizational reality. To better understand people's behavior in the workplace, they must also explore misbehavior. Organizational Misbehavior (OMB) is a term that was coined by Yaov Vardi about 10 years ago when he found out there were no models for how to predict "misconduct" at work. Thus, the purpose of this book is to delineate a new agenda for organizational behavior theory and research.

Devoted to the study and management of misbehavior in work organizations, this volume is divided into three parts. Part I discusses the prevalence of these phenomena. It searches for typologies and definitions for misbehavior in the management literature using a historical perspective and proposes a general framework of OMB. Part II explores some important manifestations and antecedents of OMB at different levels of analysis--the person, the job, and the organization. Finally, Part III presents practical and methodological implications for managers and researchers. The authors offer a comprehensive and systematically developed framework for the development and management of misbehavior in organizations.

The book is intended for students, scholars, and practitioners who manage OB.

...this book should be considered as one source of information on orgainizational misbehavior along with additional sources....After reading the large volume of literature amassed by the authors...was convinced that there is a lot of research on organizational misbehavior in the scholarly journals, but these topics are indeed not given adequate attention in OB courses and textbooks. This book is an important step toward filling that void.

—Administrative Science Quarterly

One of the strengths of the authors' writing is their clarity. Whether or not one agrees with their assumptions, definitions, and conclusions, the reader is not left uncertain about what is claimed or proposed....Overall, the authors have accomplished their stated objectives. The provision of a taxonomy of the many ways in which employees behave badly merits considerable appreciation. Advances in understanding and managing OMB are facilitated by this organization of the phenomenon. Similarly, the detailed, integrative model proposed in the final chapter is an excellent starting point for research initiatives and discussions regarding OMB....a must-read for researchers concerned with these behaviors....this text is a significant contribution to our understanding not only of OMB but also of OB.

—Personnel Psychology

This book is an engaging and interesting read. Research students will find the appendices with an OMB questionnaire and list of OMB definitions, manifestations and models useful.  Although aimed at students and practitioners, the book is perhaps most useful for academics in the area of organizational behavior and organizational psychology looking for a resource to make their courses more relevant and reflective of what actually happens within organizations.

—Singapore Human Resources Institute

A groundbreaking book bringing these various aspects of misbehavior in organization together and presenting a model for their management....a significant contribution to the profession.

—Edwin A. Fleishman
Distinguished University Professor, George Mason University

A few days ago I bought a copy of Vardi-Weitz Misbehavior in Organizations. I think it is an extremely, extremely impressive job. The detail and care the authors have put into it is obvious. Clearly, they have written the definitive volume on the subject.

—Samuel B. Bacharach
McKelvey-Grant Professor of Labor Management Relations, Cornell University, New