MUSLIM PERSONALITY EFFECTS ON WORKPLACE DEVIANCE: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF EMPLOYEES WORKING IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs)

Abstract

Workplace deviant activities are the biggest menace faced by organizations today; moreover, no organization is immune to it. A significant amount of research have indicated that personality factors predict workplace deviance by using the conventional measures of personality. Researchers have neglected the spiritual and religious aspect of personality, in particular the personality characteristics as defined by Islam. In order to fill this gap in literature, the current study analyses do Muslim personality dimensions (intellectual, spiritual, and social) negative impact workplace deviance (interpersonal and organizational). Data were collected from 347 employees of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating/registered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The results indicate that Muslim personality spiritual and social dimension have negative influence on workplace deviance. Theoretically, the study extends the resource based view, and it provides empirical support for Al-Ghazali’s theory of Muslim personality. Limitations and future directions have also been discussed.