Development and validation of counterproductive work behaviour instrument A case study of employees' SMEs

Purpose Counterproductive work behaviour (CWB) is a type of behaviour of an individual that works against an organisation or employer, and he/she is usually discretionary (i.e. individuals make conscious choices as to whether they want to commit aberrant work behaviour). To deal with CWB in different contexts, organisations need to both understand and continually measure their employees in terms of behaviour and work. This study aims to develop an instrument to measure CWB for small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted in three stages to develop a measurement scale for CWB. First, 27 questions were developed as a questionnaire based on concepts and theories of CWB and then verified using exploratory factor analysis with three CWB dimensions, namely "poor behaviour", "misuse of organisational resources" and "inappropriate communication". The questionnaire surveyed a total of 386 individuals working in SMEs. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and convergent validity were examined following the three CWB dimensions. Findings Three dimensions were developed to measure CWB, including aspects of poor behaviour, misuse of organisational resources and inappropriate communication. Originality/value The validity of the CWB questionnaire questions will facilitate the future research on the boundaries with CWB assessments spanning different SMEs contexts. Empirical study results validated that CWB measurement offered new perspectives to explore vital employee behavioural deviation that are necessary for the inspection employee behavioural deviation. This instrumental support will also help researchers to effectively understand CWB and explore its potential in future studies.