Why and When Temporary Workers Engage in More Counterproductive Work Behaviors with Permanent Employees in Chinese State-Own Enterprise: A Social Identity Perspective

Xiaolang Liu, Chuanyan Qin, Shanshi Liu and Wenzhu Lu
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Xiaolang Liu: School of Management, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Chuanyan Qin: School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Shanshi Liu: School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Wenzhu Lu: School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: Why do temporary workers sharing the same working conditions as permanent employees still frequently engage in deviant behaviors that negatively affect the organization’s interests? Drawing on the theory of social identity, this articlr discusses the relationships among employment status, organizational identification, and counterproductive work behavior. Time-lagged data were collected from sample of 210 dyads of employees and corresponding supervisors from a large Chinese state-owned service company, to test hypothesis. Results showed that temporary workers engage in counterproductive work behaviors more frequently than permanent employees, and organizational identification plays a mediating role in this process. Turnover intention moderated the relationship between employment status and counterproductive work behavior (organizational identification). In terms of turnover intention, organizational identification and counterproductive work behavior, two types of employees did not exhibit a significant difference. However, when turnover intention increase, there was a sharper decline in organizational identification and a greater increase in counterproductive work behaviors among temporary employees than among permanent employees. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: employment status; organizational identification; counterproductive work behavior; turnover intention; temporary employee (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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