Workplace deviance in Nigerian workplace: Causes, Impact and Recommendations from Industrial/Organizational Perspective

Abstract

Workplace deviance has become a major organizational challenge across public and private institutions in Nigeria. Deviant workplace behaviours such as absenteeism, cyberloafing, theft, aggression, sabotage, corruption, lateness, and withdrawal behaviours negatively affect organizational productivity, employee morale, and institutional reputation. Therefore, this narrative literature review examines workplace deviance across diverse work settings in Nigeria using Social Exchange Theory, Self-Determination Theory, Frustration–Aggression Theory, Social Learning Theory and Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) Theory as the theoretical frameworks. The review explores the nature, classifications, causes, negative impact and manifestations of workplace deviance within sectors such as public service, banking, telecommunications, healthcare, education, and manufacturing industries in Nigeria. The paper argues that employees often engage in workplace deviance as reactions to many factors such as job insecurity, perceived injustice, poor organizational treatment, inequitable reward systems, negative social exchanges between employers and employees, weak institutional structures etc. that reinforce workplace deviance. Furthermore, the study provided recommendations from Industrial/Organizational Psychology to mitigate against workplace deviance. Thus, this study concludes that fostering organizational justice, perceived organizational support and job security, supportive leadership, fair compensation, strengthening ethical climate and organizational culture and positive employer–employee relationships among others may significantly reduce workplace deviance in Nigerian organizations.