I. INTRODUCTION

Constructive deviance is becoming increasingly important in businesses today. What some people may not know is that it can bring about positive changes. Unlike much of the literature on workplace deviance which focuses on dysfunctional behavior such as antisocial behavior and workplace aggression, constructive deviants are employees who break the rules and norms but intend to benefit the organization. These individuals can play a key role in creating an organizational change and serve as future change agents. Given the increasing discussion on health care reforms, this paper explores the factors that relate to constructive deviance among physicians. Finally, practical implications and future research directions are discussed.

II. Introduction

Workplace deviance has generally been used to describe the following behaviors: antisocial behavior (Giacalone & Greenberg, 1997), workplace aggression (O’Leary-Kelly, Griffin & Glew, 1996), organizational retaliation (Skarlicki & Folger, 1997), and employee deviance (Robinson & Bennett, 1995). Although previous research has increased our understanding of the harmful effects of deviance within organizations, little research has examined the positive aspects of deviance. Constructive workplace deviance encompasses behaviors that violate significant organizational norms in order to contribute to the well-being of the organization (Galperin, 2003).

Constructive deviance is becoming increasingly important in businesses today because constructive deviants can bring about positive changes. Unlike much of the field of organizational behavior which focuses on managerial dysfunctions, such as resistance to change (Luthans, 2002), constructive deviants can play a central role in facilitating organizational change. Given the increased interest in healthcare reforms in the United States, we