1- Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran.
2- Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran. ,maneshdavi.elahe@gmail.com
2- Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran. ,
Abstract: (913 Views)
Objective: The dark side of human resources domain in government organizations includes situations where individuals harm others; injustice is prevalent; and greed, wealth, power, and revenge cause unethical and illegal behaviors. The present study aimed to identify and prioritize factors affecting the dark side of organizational behavior in government agencies.
Methodology: It was an applied survey, and exploratory research with a deductive-inductive philosophy. The statistical population included senior managers and human resources managers of government organizations, and purposive sampling was conducted based on theoretical saturation. Data collection tools were interviews in the qualitative part and questionnaires (researcher-made) in the quantitative part, whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity, intra-coder, and test-retest reliability. Data analysis methods were content analysis and fuzzy cognitive map approach for qualitative data and quantitative data, respectively.
Findings: The key factors affecting the dark aspects of the organization include leadership narcissism, organizational culture and climate, and unethical leadership.
Originality: The research provides the opportunity to identify the root causes of unethical behaviors and prevent financial, reputational, and psychological losses, and creates a healthier and more transparent work environment.
Implications: We recommend that organizations develop transparent and meritocratic criteria for appointments and promotions, reduce the role of personal and political relationships, and increase the role of expertise and performance in government organizations.
Methodology: It was an applied survey, and exploratory research with a deductive-inductive philosophy. The statistical population included senior managers and human resources managers of government organizations, and purposive sampling was conducted based on theoretical saturation. Data collection tools were interviews in the qualitative part and questionnaires (researcher-made) in the quantitative part, whose validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity, intra-coder, and test-retest reliability. Data analysis methods were content analysis and fuzzy cognitive map approach for qualitative data and quantitative data, respectively.
Findings: The key factors affecting the dark aspects of the organization include leadership narcissism, organizational culture and climate, and unethical leadership.
Originality: The research provides the opportunity to identify the root causes of unethical behaviors and prevent financial, reputational, and psychological losses, and creates a healthier and more transparent work environment.
Implications: We recommend that organizations develop transparent and meritocratic criteria for appointments and promotions, reduce the role of personal and political relationships, and increase the role of expertise and performance in government organizations.
Keywords: Dark Sides of The Organization, Deviant Work Behaviors, Government Organizations, Unethical Leadership, Fuzzy Recognition Map.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Administrative structures
Received: Jun 11 2025 | Accepted: Oct 06 2025
Received: Jun 11 2025 | Accepted: Oct 06 2025
References
1. Al-Madadha, A., Al-Adwan, A. S., & Zakzouk, F. A. (2021). Organisational Culture and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour: The Dark Side of Organisational Politics. Organizacija, 54(1). [DOI:10.2478/orga-2021-0003]
2. Ackroyd, S., & Thompson, P. (2003). Organizational Mis behaviour. Sage Publications Ltd. [DOI:10.4135/9781446222232]
3. Badura, K., Frank, E. L., Guan, Z., & MacGowan, R. (2020). Understanding the Darker Side to Organizational Behavior. In Academy of Management Proceedings. Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2020, No. 1, p. 14318). Academy of Management. [DOI:10.5465/AMBPP.2020.14318symposium]
4. Bavandpour, M., Zahedi, S.A. (2019). Identifying factors affecting the emergence of dark aspects of organizations using the meta-synthesis method, Fourth National Conference on Management, Accounting and Economics with Emphasis on Regional and Global Marketing, Tehran. (in Persian)
5. Bollaert, H., & Petit, V. (2017)." Beyond the Dark Side of Executive Psychology: Current Research and New Directions", European Management Journal, 28, PP: 362- 376. [DOI:10.1016/j.emj.2010.01.001]
6. Bocos, M., et al. (2019). Dark sides of organizational behavior and leadership. Book on Demand.
7. Brandebo, M., Alvinius, A. (2019). Dark sides of organizational behavior and leadership, bod- book on demand.
8. Capera, D., Walker, B., Ashforth, B, (2022). The dark side of strong identification in organizations: a conceptual review, academy of management annals. 16 (2), 759-805. [DOI:10.5465/annals.2020.0338]
9. Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage.
10. Dashti, R., Asadi, A., Zolfaghari, R. (2022). Presenting a model of dark aspects of organizations based on the theory of social interactionism in the higher education system, Quarterly Journal of Human Resource Studies, (12), 106-77. (in Persian)
11. Graeff, P. (2019). "Social capital: The Dark Side. In G. T. Svendsen & G. L. H. Svendsen (Eds."), Handbook of social capita"l, PP: 143-161. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar
12. Guo, L., Zhao, H., Cheng, K., & Luo, J. (2020). The relationship between abusive supervision and unethical pro-organizational behavior: linear or curvilinear? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 41(3), 369-381. [DOI:10.1108/LODJ-05-2019-0214]
13. Golparvar, M., Raie, A., Mohsen Zadeh, S., & Abdi, A. (2016). Buffering effects of deviant behaviors on the relationship between job stress with distributive justice and job performance: Evidence from two independent studies. Journal of Management and Development Process, 28 (4), 167-194. (in Persian)
14. Hosseinzadeh Nikouie, H., Sepahvand, R., Mousavi, S. N., & Hakkak, M. (2025). Employees' understanding of the phenomenon of dark networking: A phenomenographic study. Journal of Management and Development Process, 38 (3), 3-36. (in Persian) [DOI:10.66224/jmdp.38.3.3]
15. Hatfield, M. (2016). The unavoidable hierarchy: Who's who in your organization and why. Routledge. [DOI:10.4324/9781315549422]
16. Irshad, M., & Bashir, S. (2020). The dark side of organizational identification: a multi-study investigation of negative outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 572478. [DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572478]
17. Kazemzadeh, R., Vedadi, A. & Timournejad, K. (2021). Presenting a model of the antecedents and consequences of organizational anti-citizenship behaviors regarding female managers in Tehran Universities of Medical Sciences Management and Development Process 34 (3) :52-23. (in Persian) [DOI:10.52547/jmdp.34.3.23]
18. Kilic, M., & Gunsel, A. (2019). The dark side of the leadership: The effects of toxic leaders on employees. European Journal of Social Sciences, 2(2), 51-56. [DOI:10.26417/ejss-2019.v2i2-64]
19. Kose, S. (2023). The dark side of organizational behavior, organizational behavior negative aspect. [DOI:10.5772/intechopen.1001968]
20. Linstead, S., Maréchal, G. & Griffin, R.W. (2014). "Theorizing and Researching the Dark Side of Organization", Organization Studies, 35(2), PP: 165-188. [DOI:10.1177/0170840613515402]
21. Long, Z., Marshall-McKelvey, K., & Matter, M. M. (2024). Material precarity, performative imperative, and burnout from resilience: Surfacing the dark side of resilience laboring in women's entrepreneurial stories. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 52(2), 179-198. [DOI:10.1080/00909882.2024.2313126]
22. Malekshahi, F., Farhangi, A.A., Shafii, M., Zarei-Matin, H. (2019). Developing the concept of organizational citizenship behavior based on its dark aspects, Quarterly Journal of Organizational Behavior Studies, (29) 8, -33-1. (in Persian)
23. Manning, P. (2010). The dark side of social capital: Lessons from the Madoff case. In Reframing corporate social responsibility: Lessons from the global financial crisis. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. [DOI:10.1108/S2043-9059(2010)0000001015]
24. Martinko, M. J., Gundlach, M. J., & Douglas, S. C. (2002). Toward an integrative theory of counterproductive workplace behavior: A causal reasoning perspective. International journal of selection and assessment, 10(1‐2), 36-50. [DOI:10.1111/1468-2389.00192]
25. Maqbool, M., Lyu, B., Ullah, S., Khan, M. T., & Kukreti, M. (2024). Abusive supervisor triggers counterproductive work behaviors in nursing staff: role of psychological contract breach and Islamic work ethics. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 45(3), 461-477. [DOI:10.1108/LODJ-06-2023-0295]
26. McCleskey, J. (2013). "The Dark Side of Leadership: Measurement, Assessment, and Intervention, Business Renaissance Quarterly, 8, PP: 35-53.
27. Mills, C. (2011). Grappling with the dark side of organizations [Paper in special issue: Exploring the Dark Side of Organisations: A Communication Perspective. Mills, Colleen (ed.).]. Australian Journal of Communication, 38(1), 1-19.
28. Mishra, D. B., Ha-Brookshire, J., & Hodges, N. N. (2022). Blockchain as governance mechanisms for tackling dark side repercussions in interorganizational relationships. International Journal of Production Economics, 245, 108397.
29. Oliveria, N., Lumineau. F. (2019). The dark side of interorgnozational relationshipsl an intrgrativew and research agenda, journal of management, 45(1), 231-261. [DOI:10.1177/0149206318804027]
30. Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533-544. [DOI:10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y]
31. Pan, S. Y., Lin, Y., & Wong, J. W. C. (2025). The dark side of robot usage for hotel employees: An uncertainty management perspective. Tourism Management, 106, 104994. [DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2024.104994]
32. Rajabian.T. A. & Alvani S.M. (2020). Presenting a model of teacher productivity with a positive organizational behavior approach in the Ministry of Education Management and Development Process 33 (2) :229-193. (in Persian) [DOI:10.52547/jmdp.33.2.193]
33. Reihaneh, M. (2020). Examining the dark aspects of self-governing organizations. Journal of Organizational Studies, 12 (3), 45-62.
34. Sikka, P., & Willmott, H. (2010). "The Dark Side of Transfer Pricing: Its Role in Tax Avoidance and Wealth Retentiveness", Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 21, PP: 342- 356. [DOI:10.1016/j.cpa.2010.02.004]
35. Smollan, R. K., & Mooney, S. K. (2024). The bright side and dark side of performance expectations: the role of organizational culture and the impact on employee performance and wellbeing. International Studies of Management & Organization, 54(3), 218-237. [DOI:10.1080/00208825.2024.2320580]
36. Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage.
37. Tuzun, I. K., Çetin, F., & Basım, H. N. (2017). Deviant employee behavior in the eyes of colleagues: the role of organizational support and self-efficacy. Eurasian Business Review, 7(3), 389-405. [DOI:10.1007/s40821-016-0061-5]
38. Vaughan, D. (1999). The dark side of organizations: Mistake, misconduct, and disaster. Annual review of sociology, 25(1), 271-305. [DOI:10.1146/annurev.soc.25.1.271]
39. Yue, C. A., Qin, Y. S., & Men, L. R. (2024). The dark side of leadership communication: the impact of supervisor verbal aggressiveness on workplace culture, employee-organization relationships and counterproductive work behaviors. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 29(3), 405-429. [DOI:10.1108/CCIJ-04-2023-0050]
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |
