Half angel and half devil? Linking hostile attribution bias and workplace loneliness with norm-violating behaviors

Purpose Despite the significant impact of employees' norm-violating behaviors (NVB) in the workplace, extant literature has primarily categorized such behaviors as either constructive or destructive, neglecting their interconnected nature. Based on the social bonding theory and the Cognitive-affective Process System framework, this research aims to converge the isolated approaches by examining workplace loneliness as a shared antecedent of both constructive (voice) and destructive (unsafe behavior) NVBs, and positing workplace loneliness as a mediating mechanism linking hostile attribution bias (HAB) with these NVBs. In addition, we expect the positive relationship between HAB and loneliness to be attenuated by leader-member exchange (LMX). Design/methodology/approach Built on a three-wave survey of 204 supervisor-subordinate dyads, Study 1 employed an SEM approach to test the full model. Given the unexpected direction of the moderating effect in Study 1, we designed Study 2 as an experimental critical incident paradigm with 176 participants to re-examine this relationship. Findings The results reveal that HAB promotes both voice and unsafe behavior via workplace loneliness. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, however, the findings across two studies indicate that LMX augments rather than weakens the positive relationship between HAB and workplace loneliness. When LMX is high, instead of low, HAB is more strongly related to employees' workplace loneliness. Originality/value Through elucidating a cognitive-affective approach to employees' norm-violating behaviors, this study offers a more nuanced understanding of how individual employees' cognitive bias weakens the social bonds, which results in their adaptive and maladaptive nonconformity at work.