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Counterproductive Work Behaviour in a Simulated Production Context: An Exploratory Study with Personality Traits As Predictors of Safety-Related Rule Violations

Ananda von der Heyde, Julia Miebach and Annette Kluge

Counterproductive Workplace Behaviour (CWB) is investigated in Organisational Psychology as well as in the area of Human Factors. So far, each of these disciplines has mostly disregarded findings by the other. The present studies integrate findings gained from the two disciplines to investigate the qualities of personality traits that predict safety-related rule violations in a production context. A pilot study was conducted to test a set of personality traits in terms of their predictive qualities regarding the intention to violate a rule. Three traits (integrity subscale: cautiousness, self-interest, injustice sensitivity) emerged as predictors and were applied in a business simulation of a production environment (main study). Cautiousness turned out to be significantly correlated with safety-related rule violations in the production context. Hence, cautiousness should be measured in personnel selection in order to enhance safety and reduce the costs of CWB in organisations.