A Systematic Review of Organisational Misbehaviour: Antecedents, Displays, Consequences, and Boundary Conditions
M. M. N. Chathuranga 
M. W. Kalyani
M. A. K. U. Madhuwanthi
Abstract
Organisational misbehaviour (OM) has become a persistent challenge in modern workplaces, yet existing research remains fragmented across antecedents, behavioural expressions, and consequences. This study develops an integrated conceptual synthesis of OM through a systematic review of 43 peer-reviewed articles published between 2011 and 2025. Adopting a multi-level lens, the review identifies antecedents of OM at individual, group, organisational, and extra-organisational levels, showing how dispositional traits, social norms, structural conditions, and contextual pressures jointly shape deviant workplace behaviour. The findings demonstrate that OM manifests through interpersonal, organisationally directed, and external-facing behaviours, ranging from incivility and sabotage to unethical pro-organisational behaviour. The study advances a dual-pathway perspective, highlighting that OM may generate short-term functional or instrumental outcomes while simultaneously producing long-term dysfunctional consequences, including emotional exhaustion, reduced performance, organisational degradation, and loss of stakeholder trust. Importantly, OM is conceptualised as a dynamic, feedback-driven process in which consequences recursively reinforce antecedent conditions, thereby sustaining cycles of deviance over time. The review further identifies key boundary conditions, particularly ethical leadership, organisational justice, and emotional regulation as potential moderators. By integrating literature into a coherent process-oriented framework, this study reframes OM as an evolving, multi-level phenomenon embedded in reinforcing systemic dynamics rather than isolated deviant acts
Keywords: Organisational Misbehaviour, Antecedents, Displays, Consequences, Boundary Conditions, Multilevel Analysis
Volume 17, Issue 1
June 30, 2026
Pages: 93-124
DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cbj.v17i1.224
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Suggested citation:
Chathuranga, M. N. N., Kalyani, M. W., & Madhuwanthi, M. A. K. U. (2026). A Systematic Review of Organisational Misbehaviour: Antecedents, Displays, Consequences, and Boundary Conditions. Colombo Business Journal, 17(1), 93–124. http://doi.org/10.4038/cbj.v17i1.224
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M. N. N. Chathuranga
Deakin Business School, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
nirmal@sjp.ac.lk
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M. W. Kalyani
Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
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M. A. K. U. Madhuwanthi
Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka