Learning through automated processes: negative social influence among coworkers

Purpose This paper discusses how minor counterproductive workplace behavior (CWB) scripts can be acquired or learned through automated processes from one employee to another. Design/methodology/approach This research is based on insights from social information processing and automated processing. Findings This paper helps explain the automated learning of minor CWBs from one’s coworkers. Practical implications While some employees purposefully engage in counterproductive workplace behaviors with the intent to harm their organizations, other less overt and minor behaviors are not always carried out with harmful intent, but remain counterproductive, nonetheless. By understanding how the transfer of minor CWBs occurs, employers can strive to set policies and practices in place to help reduce these occurrences. Originality/value This paper discusses how negative workplace learning can occur. We hope to contribute to the workplace learning literature by highlighting how and why the spread of minor CWBs occurs amongst coworkers and spur future research focusing on appropriate interventions.