Skip to main content
Log in

The prediction of employee counterproductivity through attitude assessment

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Business and Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to identify psychological predictors of employee counterproductivity. Results of the first study showed that tolerant attitudes toward violence and dissatisfaction with co-workers significantly predicted on-the-job damage by employees. In addition, condoning attitudes toward violence and dishonesty, dissatisfaction with co-workers and lie scale scores reliably predicted on-the-job waste by employees. The second study found that condoning attitudes toward dishonesty, dissatisfaction with work, sex of employee, and two measures of overall job dissatisfaction significantly predicted counterproductive behavior on the job, using a cross-validation strategy. These variables explained over a quarter of the variance in the criterion. Attitudes toward dishonesty were found to be the best single predictor of counterproductivity. Implications for industry are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvord, G. (1985). Validation of the Personnel Selection Inventory as a screening test for bus operators.Journal of Security Administration, 8(1), 37–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berte, D.L., Moretti, D.M., Jusko, R., & Leonard, J. (1981).An investigation of a combined withdrawal and counterproductive behavior decision process model. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Academy of Management, San Diego.

  • Bologna, J. (1984).Corporate fraud: The basics of prevention and detection. Stoneham, MA: Butterworth Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, T. S., Jones, J. W., & Terris, W. (1984).Reducing employee turnover and shrinkage losses in the home improvement industry: A five year time series analysis. Park Ridge, IL: London House Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, T.S., & Joy, D.S. (1985).The Predictive Validity of the Personnel Selection Inventory in the Grocery Industry. Technical Report. Park Ridge, IL: London House, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, T., & Pardue, J. (1985). The effectiveness of the Personnel Selection Inventory in reducing drug store theft.Psychological Reports, 56, 875–881.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crown, D.P., & Marlowe, D. (1964).The approval motive. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forcese, D.P., & Richer, S. (1973).Social research methods. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillett, B., & Schwab, D.P. (1975). Convergent and discriminant validities of corresponding Job Descriptive Index and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire scales.Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 313–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, D. (1976).Managing people at work: Concepts and cases in interpersonal behavior. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollinger, R.C. (1978).Employee deviance against the formal work organization. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Dallas.

  • Hollinger, R.C, & Clark, J.P. (1979).The quality of the work experience: Its relationship to employee theft and productive deviance. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, Boston.

  • Hoppock, R. (1935).Job satisfaction. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W. (1979).Predictors of pre-alcoholism. Paper presented at the Seventeenth Inter-american Congress of Psychology, Lima, Peru.

  • Jones, J.W. (1980a). Attitudinal correlates of employees' deviance: Theft, alcohol use, and nonprescribed drug abuse.Psychological Reports, 47, 71–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W. (1980b). Attitudinal correlates of employee violence.Journal of Security Administration, 3(1), 42–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W. (1981a). Attitudinal correlates of employee theft of drugs and hospital supplies among nursing personnel.Journal of Nursing Research, 30(6), 349–351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W. (1981b). Dishonesty, staff burnout, and unauthorized work break extensions.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 7(3), 406–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W. (1982).Is employee violence contagious? Technical Report. Park Ridge, IL: London House, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W., & Terris. W. (1981).Predictive validation of a dishonesty test that measures theft proneness. Paper presented at the Eighteenth Interamerican Congress of Psychology, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

  • Jones, J.W., & Terris, W. (1982).Attitudes toward theft as predictors of employee theft among salesclerks. Paper presented at the 90th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.

  • Jones, J.W., & Terris, W. (1983). Predicting employees' theft in home improvement centers.Psychological Reports, 52, 187–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W., & Terris, W. (1984).Validity and factor structure of a dishonesty test that measures attitudes toward theft. Technical Report. Park Ridge, IL: London House, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, J.W., & Terris, W. (1985). Screening employment applicants for attitudes toward theft: Three quasi-experimental studies.International Journal of Management, 2(3), 62–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramarsky, D. (1976). Surveillance systems: Management's electronic sentries.Administrative Management, 37, 4+.

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke, E.A. (1970). Job satisfaction and job performance: A theoretical analysis.Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 5, 484–500.

    Google Scholar 

  • Locke, E.A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M.D. Dunnette (Ed.),Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology. Chicago: Rand McNally, pp. 1297–1349.

    Google Scholar 

  • London House, Inc. (1980).The Personnel Selection Inventory (PSI). Park Ridge, Illinois: London House Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mangione, T. W., & Quinn, R.P. (1975). Job satisfaction, counterproductive behavior, and drug use at work.Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 114–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNemar, Q. (1969).Psychological statistics. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNichols, C.W., Stahl, J.J., & Manley, T.R. (1978). A validation of Hoppock's job satisfaction measure.Academy of Management Journal, 21, 737–742.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miner, J.B., & Brewer, J.F. (1976). The management of ineffective performance. In M.D. Dunnette (Ed.),Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology. Chicago: Rand McNally, pp. 995–1029.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moretti, D.M. (1980).Employee counterproductivity: Attitudinal predictors of industrial damage and waste. Paper presented at the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Society of Police and Criminal Psychology, Atlanta.

  • Morgenstern, D. (1977).Blue collar theft in business and industry. Springfield, VA: National Technical Information Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sewell, C. (1981). The meek shall inherit the thieves.Security Management, 25, 144–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, P.C., Kendall, L.M., & Hulin, C.L. (1969).The measurement of satisfaction in work and retirement. Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terris, W. (1979). Attitudinal correlates of employee integrity: Theft related admissions made in pre-employment polygraph examinations.Journal of Security Administrations, 2, 30–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terris, W. (1981). Attitudinal correlates of theft, violence, and drug use. In G. Marin and A. Padilla (Eds.),Community psychology and Latin America. Mexico: Trillas Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terris, W., & Jones, J.W. (1980). Attitudinal and personality correlates of theft among supermarket employees.Journal of Security Administration, 3(2), 65–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terris, W., & Jones, J.W. (1982). Psychological factors related to employees' theft in the convenience store industry.Psychological Reports, 51, 1219–1238.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moretti, D.M. The prediction of employee counterproductivity through attitude assessment. J Bus Psychol 1, 134–147 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01018809

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01018809

Keywords

Navigation