Performance Management: Putting Research into Action

Dealing with Counterproductive Work Behavior

After identifying potential causes of counterproductive performance issues, managers should then determine the appropriate course of action to take. The selected action(s) should focus on changing employees’ behaviors as well as addressing diagnosed contributors to those behaviors. “Discipline as defined by the behavior and policies of many U.S. organizations means punishment. . . . The employee errs and management determines the penalty that fits the crime, operating under the belief that by treating the individual progressively worse he will become progressively better” (Harvey, 1987, p. 26). However, punishment alone can create an adversarial relationship between managers and employees, rather ...