Influence of frugality, materialism and employee demographics on workplace deviant behaviors

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of frugality and materialism on workplace deviant behaviors in business organizations. The investigation sample was drawn from selected business organizations (Stanbic IBTC Bank, Globacom Limited, International Alpha Limited, and Nextzon Business Services Firm) across the Ibadan and Lagos cities of Nigeria. This study espouses a quantitative research approach, and the study’s questionnaires were randomly dispersed. Out of 400 questionnaires, 323 questionnaires were useful for investigation, and the data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 26. The research results show that the frugal are less likely to engage in workplace deviant behaviors, while materialists are more inclined to exhibit workplace deviant behaviors in business organizations. This paper further indicates that demographics (gender, marital status, and educational qualification) have a statistical effect on workplace deviant behavior. It was confirmed that frugality, materialism, and employee demographics significantly influenced workplace deviant behaviors in business organizations. Therefore, business organizations’ leadership and management should encourage frugality, thereby directly reducing employee workplace deviant behaviors. Besides, the main focus should be on reducing materialistic tendencies through periodic training and seminars on debt prevention, particularly among vulnerable employees who discourage workplace deviant behaviors.