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Journal of Business Ethics

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06.09.2017 | Original Paper

Wanting More, Getting Less: Gaming Performance Measurement as a Form of Deviant Workplace Behavior

verfasst von: Laura Graf, Wiebke S. Wendler, Jutta Stumpf-Wollersheim, Isabell M. Welpe

Erschienen in: Journal of Business Ethics | Ausgabe 3/2019

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Abstract

Investigating the causes of unethical behaviors in academia, such as scientific misconduct, has become a highly important research subject. The current performance measurement practices (e.g., equating research performance with the number of publications in top-tier journals) are frequently referred to as being responsible for scientists’ unethical behaviors. We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders of the higher education system (e.g., professors and policy makers; N = 43) to analyze the influence of performance measurement on scientists’ behavior. We followed a three-step coding procedure and found (1) that the participants described a variety of positive behavioral consequences (e.g., higher productivity) but mainly negative behavioral consequences (e.g., questionable publishing practices) of current performance measurement practices in academia; (2) that scientists’ behavior can be described as gaming performance measurement (i.e., achieving performance goals by reducing performance quality and focusing on those tasks that are measured); and (3) that gaming performance measurement shares the same characteristics as deviant workplace behavior (i.e., a voluntary violation of organizational norms that harms the university). We discuss that gaming performance measurement has not been considered as a type of deviant workplace behavior in the previous literature. Furthermore, we draw from research on deviant workplace behavior and goal setting to discuss psychological processes that may underlie gaming performance measurement. Our results indicate the importance of connecting literature on deviant workplace behavior and goal setting to advance our understanding of gaming performance measurement.

Vorheriger Artikel On Establishing Legitimate Goals and Their Performance Impact

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Titel: Wanting More, Getting Less: Gaming Performance Measurement as a Form of Deviant Workplace Behavior
verfasst von: Laura Graf
Wiebke S. Wendler
Jutta Stumpf-Wollersheim
Isabell M. Welpe
Publikationsdatum: 06.09.2017
Verlag: Springer Netherlands
Erschienen in: Journal of Business Ethics / Ausgabe 3/2019
Print ISSN: 0167-4544
Elektronische ISSN: 1573-0697
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3688-y

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