Why Do Millennials Perform Dysfunctional Behavior Toward an Organization? An Exploratory Study in an Urban Campus
Abstract
Organizations can determine what constitutes dysfunctional behavior in several ways, often by aligning with the shared social values of the local society in which the organization operates. In relation to this, urban environments pose a particular challenge to organizations as its higher degree of diversity compared to rural areas. This exploratory study aims to identify the causes of millennials’ dysfunctional behavior toward organizations. Further, the authors would explore the dimension characteristics of dysfunctional behavior of millennials toward an organization. This study was conducted on an urban campus, with 197 students from various study programs being the respondents. Data collection used open-ended questions distributed through online surveys, followed by focus group discussions to obtain more detailed answers. The results showed that the main targets of the students’ dysfunctional behavior were the college itself, the lecturing staff, and the student-led organizations. The most common reasons for this behavior were disappointment with the goal and being encouraged by other students. The study also found that despite being aware that their actions were deemed unethical by the target, students who committed dysfunctional behaviors did not feel guilty because they believed the target deserved it. The findings of this study are useful for organizational behavior research, particularly in the study of dysfunctional behavior, as it provides empirical data to support that retaliation is one of the antecedents of dysfunctional behavior.
Keywords: revenge behavior, perception of justice, service failure recovery, consumer ethical standards
References
[1] Wiedmer T. Generation do differ: Best practices in leading traditionalists, boomers, and generation X, Y, and Z. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin. 2015;82:51-58.
[2] VanMeter RA, Grisaffe DB, Chonko LB, Roberts JA. Generation Y’s ethical ideology and its potential workplace. Journal of Business Ethics. 2013;117(1):93-109.
[3] Naibaho H, Meloche J. Does leader-member exchange (LMX) quality always yield positive outcomes for organizations? LMX as the moderating variable of the formation of counter-productive work behavior’s Ripple effect. Organizational Cultures: An International Journal. 2016;16(4):1-12.
[4] Kim K, Baker MA. The customer isn’t always right: The implications of illegitimate complaints. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. 2020;61(2):113-127.
[5] Sembada A, Tsarenko Y, Tojib D. The positive effects of customers’ power on their behavioral responses after service failure. Journal of Service Research. 2016;19(3):337-351.
[6] Knox G, Van Oest R. Customer complaints and recovery effectiveness: A customer base approach. Journal of Marketing. 2014;78(5):42-57.
[7] Peng J-C, Chiu S-F. An integrative model linking feedback environment and organizational citizenship behavior. The Journal of Social Psychology. 2010;150(6):582-607.
[8] Uludag O. The influence of aggression on students’ achievement: Evidence form higher education. Procedia–Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2013;(89):954-958.
[9] Huang Z, Miao L. Illegitimate customer complaining behavior in hospitality service encounters: A frontline employee perspective. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. 2016;40(6):655-684.
[10] Grandey AA. When “the show must go on”: Surface acting and deep acting as determinants of emotional exhaustion and peer-rated service delivery. Academy of Management Journal. 2003;46(1):86-96.
[11] Cole MS, Bruch H, Walter F. Affective mechanisms linking dysfunctional behavior to performance in work teams: A moderated mediation study. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2008;93(5):945-958.
[12] Choi NH, Dixon AL, Jung JM. Dysfunctional behavior among sales representatives: The effect of supervisory trust, participation, and information controls. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management. 2013;23(3):181-198.
[13] Buss AH, Perry M. The aggression questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1992;63(3):452–459.
[14] Kikas E, Peets K, Tropp K, Hinn M. Associations between verbal reasoning, normative beliefs about aggression, and different forms of aggression. Journal of Research on Adolescence. 2009;19(1):137–149.
[15] Abasiubong F, Abiola T, Udofia O. A comparative study of aggression amongst Nigerian university students in Niger Delta region. Psychology, Health & Medicine. 2011;16(1):86–93.
[16] Yaratan H, Uludag O. The impact of verbal aggression on burnout: An empirical study on university students. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2012(46):41-46.
[17] García-León A, Reyes GA, Vila J, Pérez N, Robles H, Ramos MM. The aggression questionnaire: A validation study in student samples the Spanish. Journal of Psychology. 2002;5(1):45-53.
[18] Bencsik A, Horváth-Csikós G, Juhász T. Y and Z Generations at workplaces. Journal of Competitiveness. 2016;8(3):1804-1728.
[19] Christopher SA, Chiarella EM, Waters D. Can Generation Y nurses supply areas of shortage? New graduate challenges in today’s job market. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2015;33(2):35-43.
[20] Keene DL, Handrich RR. Loyalty, longevity and leadership: A multigenerational workforce update. The Jury Expert. 2015;27(2):1-8.
[21] Folger R. Fairness as Deonance. In: Gilliland S, Steiner D, Skarlicki D. (Eds.), Theoretical and cultural perspectives on organizational justice (3-33). Information Age Publishing; 2001.
[22] O’Reilly J, Aquino K. A model of third parties’ morally motivated responses to mistreatment in organizations. The Academy of Management Review. 2011;36(3):526– 543.