How has cyber technology created opportunities for workplace deviance?

Deviance is defined as “departing from usual or accepted standards, especially in social or sexual behavior” (Oxford Languages, 2021).  Workplace deviance would therefore imply an employee exhibiting this type of behavior in a professional workplace.  Basic examples of workplace deviance might consist of sexual harassment, verbal abuse, theft, sabotage, withholding effort, or more.  These behaviors either impact other employees or the company.  This type of behavior is destructive and can lead to serious damages.  As technology has become integral to the workplace, those who are complicit in workplace deviance have been able to express this deviance on a new platform.  Just as the cyber world enabled a new class of criminals and bullies, the same can be said about deviant employees.  Like standard workplace deviance, cyber deviant activities have a range from minor to serious offenses and can impact one person or the entire business.  One of the main concerns for cyber deviance would be the ability to do it discreetly.  Activities such as surfing the web or using social media at work are light forms of cyber deviance because an employee is using company time and money to engage in personal activities.  Though most people would not initially consider using Facebook at work a deviant activity, this is the equivalent of leaving work to play golf without clocking out.  The difference is surfing Facebook is more discrete and draws less attention.  This ends up being more damaging in the long run since an employee can get away with this behavior for extended periods of time without being caught.  Cyber deviance, as stated, can rage on the opposite end of the spectrum with activities like stealing company secrets or intentionally damaging systems or corrupting data.  Deviant employees can conduct these activities while they still employed, or they can do them if they are disgruntled after being fired.  The list of cyber deviant activities in the workplace goes on and on, but ultimately these employees can discreetly and effectively damage companies through their behavior on the network.  

(2021). Retrieved from Oxford Languages: https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/