Counterproductive Behaviors and Psychological Well-being: The Moderating Effect of Task Interdependence

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between counterproductive behaviors (CPBs) and psychological well-being in a teamwork setting. Moreover, we examined the moderating effect of task interdependence. CPBs are considered in light of four dimensions, namely parasitism, interpersonal aggression, boastfulness, and misuse of resources. Data were collected from a sample of 249 individuals working in a Canadian prison. The study was based on two measurement times. The results reveal that the four dimensions of CPBs are negatively related to psychological well-being and that relationships involving interpersonal aggression and boastfulness are moderated by task interdependence. This study highlights the importance for managers to identify the presence of CPBs in their team as soon as possible so as to be able to remedy them before they affect team members' psychological well-being. Moreover, interpersonal aggression and boastfulness may be particularly detrimental in a context of high interdependence. This study further extends the nomological network of CPBs. Indeed, the results indicate that the presence of CPBs may harm employees' mental health. Furthermore, this study shows that a contextual characteristic (i.e., task interdependence) may amplify the detrimental effect of some CPBs.