Breaking rules for the right reasons? An investigation of pro-social rule breaking

Abstract

Pro-social rule breaking (PSRB) is a form of constructive deviance characterized by volitional rule breaking in the interest of the organization or its stakeholders. Over the course of three studies, we developed a generalizable measure of PSRB and placed it in a nomological network with personality, workplace perceptions, counterproductive behaviors, and task and contextual performance ratings made by supervisors and coworkers. Results indicate that PSRB is negatively related to task performance ratings across both sources despite its pro-social motivation intended to help the organization. Potential directions for future research concerning reactions to constructive deviance are discussed. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.