A historical perspective of counterproductive work behavior targeting the organization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to chronicle the study of deviant behavior aimed at the organization, or CWB‐O, from the dawn of the Industrial Revolution to the present day. Design/methodology/approach – Counterproductive work behaviors that have been documented and studied since the Industrial Revolution were systematically reviewed and discussed. Findings – Over the past few centuries, employees have engaged in behaviors that harm their organizations; as organizations have become more complex, however, employees have found many more ways to engage in CWB‐O. Further, recent advances in technology have made employee CWB‐O much more ambiguous. Research limitations/implications – The study of CWB‐Os will remain a rich area for researchers as the boundaries between work and personal life continue to blur, as employees develop new forms of CWB‐O, and as employers increase their use of technology to detect employee deviance. Practical implications – As the penetration of technology into job roles grows and the use of personal mobile devices becomes institutionalized, managers now must decide how much company time they will tolerate their employees spending on personal issues while at work. Put another way, managers must cope with the reality that a certain amount of what was once considered deviant behavior in the workplace may now be a minimum expectation of employees. Originality/value – This paper builds a historical foundation of the present conceptualization of CWB‐O, thereby providing scholars with a greater understanding of what past events drove the emergence of the types of CWB‐O that are prevalent today and why some counterproductive behaviors may have become less prevalent.