In the New Economy, Deviance in the Workplace Can Spur Innovation

(Tampa, FL) -- In the workplace, do you consider yourself a constructive deviant, a destructive deviant, a little of both, or none of the above?

According to research by a University of Tampa professor, some of the most valuable individuals in an organization are both constructive and destructive deviants.

In a presentation at the Academy of Management Conference in early August, Bella Galperin, an associate professor of management, argued that deviance -- defined as voluntary behavior that violates organizational norms and can threaten the well-being of an organization -- can be constructive and functional for organizations, and employees who fail to follow the organizational norms can be the roots of successful innovations and champions of change.

"Employees who break the rules and cause harm to the organization are also your organization's potential change agents. They will break the rules to increase the well-bring of your organization," Galperin said.

Currently, organizations have focused their efforts on identifying and reducing destructive deviants -- potentially aggressive and dishonest employees. The costs associated with dysfunctional behavior in the workplace have been estimated in the billions.

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