Conceptualising Kansei in Affective Work Events Counterproductive Work Behaviour Model

Abstract

Studies on Counterproductive Work Behaviour (CWB) have attracted wide interest among scholars. CWB is a subset of unethical behaviour that seems unbearable since it intentionally harms both organisations and people in the organisations. In general, literature holds that CWB is determined by work events and affective state. However, most studies are restricted to examining a single work event which prevents us from understanding the simultaneous effect of multiple work events. In addition, prior research widely utilised a self-reporting mechanism in capturing the affective experiences at work resulting in common method bias and other issues like time constraints, low response rate, etc. Drawing on Affective Events Theory (AET), affective work events, and CWB literature, this article provides an important extension to the CWB literature by proposing multiple work events that predict affective experiences and CWB at work. Additionally, the Kansei Engineering-Kawakita Jiro method is introduced as a substitute for the existing self-reporting mechanism in capturing affective work events. This article offers theoretical insights that may facilitate empirical research to explore the role of affective experiences within the CWB spectrum. The introduced conceptual ideas are targeted to be a useful guide for practitioners to craft appropriate strategies to combat employees’ CWB.