New PIJM now accepts submissions exclusively via the Editorial Scholar portal — a dedicated submission & review system.
Go to Editorial Scholar →
Associated Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd. | COPE Member
Scopus Q2 UGC-CARE |
Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management logo

Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management

ISSN: 0975-2854 Frequency: Monthly Peer Review: Double-blind Published since: 2008 Language: English
A publication of AMCPL
amcon.co.in
New Delhi, India
Indexed in: Scopus Q2 UGC-CARE Group II Google Scholar J-Gate NISCAIR Crossref Cabell's Journalytics

Effect of Yoga Practices in Reducing Aggression and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Open Access Original Article

Effect of Yoga Practices in Reducing Aggression and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Umesh Dwivedi1,  Sony Kumari2,  K. B. Akhilesh3,  H. R. Nagendra4

1 Research Scholar, Department of Yoga and Management Studies, S-VYASA University, No-19, Eknath Bhavan, Gavipuram Circle, K.G. Nagar, Bengaluru -560 019

2 Associate Professor, Department of Yoga and Management Studies, S-VYASA University, No-19, Eknath Bhavan, Gavipuram Circle, K.G. Nagar, Bengaluru -560 019

3 Professor and Dean of Yoga and Management Department, Department of Yoga and Management Studies, S-VYASA University, No-19, Eknath Bhavan, Gavipuram Circle, K.G. Nagar, Bengaluru -560 019

4 Chancellor, S-VYASA University, No-19, Eknath Bhavan, Gavipuram Circle, K.G. Nagar, Bengaluru -560 019

Volume 8
Issue 10
Pages 21–31
Year 2015
Received: Aug. 16, 2015 Accepted: Sept. 19, 2015 Published: Oct. 1, 2015
Abstract

Counterproductive work behavior (CWB) in the workplace can take numerous forms, starting from difficult personality traits that harm team cohesion to damaging property that undermines an organization's financial well-being. Aggression has been consistently shown to correlate with incidents of CWB and also mediates the relationship between CWB and its predictors. Yoga is a mind and body practice with a goal of unifying emotional, psychological, and physical selves. Findings of yoga research recommend that yoga based techniques may be helpful for working professionals in moving and managing feelings of anger and frustration. The present study examined the effect of yoga on working professionals in reducing aggression and counterproductive work behavior. A pretest-post test research design of 10-week duration was used for two cohorts, randomized into a yoga group and a control group with 80 subjects in each group. The yoga group practiced asanas, pranayama, meditation, and yogic theory lectures. Mild to moderate physical exercises and management lectures were taught to the control group. The data was analyzed using SPSS, and the results revealed that the yoga group showed statistically significant reduction (p < 0.001) in aggression and counterproductive work behaviors in comparison to the control group. The paper contributes by introducing a cost-effective way to prevent heavy losses organizations are incurring due to counterproductive work behaviors. The results also suggested that having regular yoga sessions at a workplace can result in happier home lives and increased productivity.

Keywords Aggression Counterproductive Work Behavior Negative Affectivity Stress Yoga
How to Cite

Umesh Dwivedi, Sony Kumari, K. B. Akhilesh, H. R. Nagendra (2015). Effect of Yoga Practices in Reducing Aggression and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 8(10), 21–31. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2015/v8i10/79822

References
  1. Adhia, H., Nagendra, H. R., & Mahadevan, B. (2010). Impact of adoption of yoga way of life on the reduction of job burnout of managers. Vikalpa, 35 (2), 21-33.
  2. Archer, J. (2004). Sex differences in aggression in real-world settings: A meta-analytic review. Review of General Psychology, 8 (4), 291-322. DOI:10.1037/1089-2680.8.4.291
  3. Barclay, L. J., Skarlicki, D. P., & Douglas, P. S. (2005). Exploring the role of emotions in injustice perceptions and retaliation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90 (4), 629-643. DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.90.4.629
  4. Baron, R. A., Neuman, J. H., & Geddes, D. (1999). Social and personal determinants of workplace aggression: Evidence for the impact of perceived injustice and the Type A behavior pattern. Aggressive Behavior, 25 (4), 281-296. DOI:10.1002/(sici)1098-2337(1999)25:4<281::aid-ab4>3.0.co;2-j
  5. Berry, C., Ones, D., & Sackett, P. (2007). Interpersonal deviance, organizational deviance, and their common correlates: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92 (2), 410-424. DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.92.2.410
  6. Bilderbeck, A. C., Farias, M., Brazil, I. A., Jakobowitz, S., & Wikholm, C. (2013). Participation in a 10-week course of yoga improves behavioural control and decreases psychological distress in a prison population. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47 (10), 1438-1445. DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.06.014
  7. Buss, A.H., & Perry, M. (1992). The aggression questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63 (3), 452-459. DOI:10.1037//0022-3514.63.3.452
  8. Carlson, L. E., & Garland, S.N. (2005). Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on sleep, mood, stress and fatigue symptoms in cancer outpatients. International Journal of Behavioural Medicine, 12 (4), 278-285. DOI:10.1207/s15327558ijbm1204_9
  9. Chen, P. Y., & Spector, P. E. (1992). Relationships of work stressors with aggression, withdrawal, theft and substance use: An exploratory study. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 65 (3), 177-184. DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8325.1992.tb00495.x
  10. Cortina, L. M., Magley, V. J., Williams, J. H., & Langhout, R. D. (2001). Incivility in the workplace: Incidence and impact. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 6 (1), 64-80. DOI:10.1037//1076-8998.6.1.64
  11. Deshpande, S., Nagendra, H. R., & Raghuram, N. (2008). A randomized control trial of the effect of yoga on verbal aggressiveness in normal healthy volunteers. International Journal of Yoga, 1 (2), 76-82. DOI:10.4103/0973-6131.41034
  12. DeWall, C. N., Finkel, E. J., & Denson, T. F. (2011). Self-control inhibits aggression. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5 (7), 458-472. DOI:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00363.x
  13. Dietz, J., Robinson, S. L., Folger, R., Baron, R. A., & Schulz, M. (2003). The impact of community violence and an organization's procedural justice climate on workplace aggression. Academy of Management Journal, 46 (3), 317-326. DOI:10.2307/30040625
  14. Douglas, S.C., & Martinko, M.J. (2001). Exploring the role of individual differences in the prediction of workplace aggression. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86 (4), 547-559. DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.86.4.547
  15. Folger, R., & Sarlicki, D. P. (1998). When tough times make tough bosses: Managerial distancing as a function of layoff blame. Academy of Management Journal, 41 (1), 79-87. DOI:10.2307/256899
  16. Fox, S., Spector, P. E., & Miles, D. (2001). Counterproductive work behavior (CWB) in response to job stressors and organizational justice: Some mediator and moderator tests for autonomy and emotions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59 (3), 291-309. DOI:10.1006/jvbe.2001.1803
  17. Fox, S., & Spector, P. E. (1999). A model of work frustration–aggression. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20 (6), 915 - 931. DOI:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1379(199911)20:6<915::AID-JOB918>3.0.CO;2-6
  18. Greenberg, L., & Barling, J. (1999). Predicting employee aggression against coworkers, subordinates and supervisors: The roles of person behaviors and perceived workplace factors. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20 (6), 897-913. DOI:10.1002/(sici)1099-1379(199911)20:6<897::aid-job975>3.0.co;2-z
  19. Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2003). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 8 (4), 500-500. DOI:10.1111/j.2042-7166.2003.tb04008.x
  20. Hagger, M., Wood, C., Stiff, C., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. (2010). Ego depletion and the strength model of self-control: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 136 (4), 495-525. DOI:10.1037/a0019486
  21. Khatri, P., & Kupersmidt, J. (2003). Aggression, peer victimisation, and social relationships among Indian youth. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27 (1), 87-96. DOI:10.1080/01650250244000056
  22. Khodaskar, V. A., & Khodaskar, A. N. (2015). Effect of yogic practices performed on deviants aggression, anxiety and impulsiveness in prisoners. Online International Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 5, 239-242.
  23. Kuldeep, K., & Bakshi, A. (2015). Missing Workforce: Some personality correlates of absenteeism. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 3 (4), 51-56. doi:10.17010/pijom/2010/v3i4/60934
  24. Kumari, S., Hankey, A., & Nagendra, H. R. (2013). Effect of SMET on emotional dynamics of manager. Voice of Research, 2 (1), 49-50.
  25. Marcus, B., & Schuler, H. (2004). Antecedents of counterproductive behavior at work: A general perspective. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 89 (4), 647-660. DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.89.4.647
  26. Michel, J. S., & Bowling, N. A. (2012). Does dispositional aggression feed the narcissistic response? The role of narcissism and aggression in the prediction of job attitudes and counterproductive work behaviors. Journal of Business Psychology, 28 (1), 93-105. DOI:10.1007/s10869-012-9265-6
  27. Miller, S. B., & Ditto, B. (1991). Exaggerated sympathetic nervous system response to extended psychological stress in offspring of hypertensives. Psychophysiology, 28 (1), 103-113. DOI:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1991.tb03395.x
  28. Muralidharan, C., Venkatram, R., & Krishnaveni R. (2015). Impact of job satisfaction on intention to quit: A study on customer service providers in commercial banks. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 6 (7), 15-25. DOI:10.17010/pijom/2013/v6i7/60011
  29. Neuman, J. H., & Baron, R. A. (1998). Workplace violence and workplace aggression: Evidence concerning specific forms, potential causes, and preferred targets. Journal of Management, 24 (3), 391-419. DOI:10.1177/014920639802400305
  30. O'Connor, D. B., Archer, J., & Wu, F. W. C. (2001). Measuring aggression: Self-reports, partner reports, and responses to provoking scenarios. Aggressive Behavior, 27 (2), 79 -101. DOI:10.1002/ab.2
  31. O'Leary-Kelly, A. M., Griffin, R. W., & Glew, D. J. (1996). Organization-motivated aggression: A research framework. The Academy of Management Review, 21 (1), 225-253. DOI:10.2307/258635
  32. Peck, H. L., Kehle, T. J., Bray, M. A., & Theodore, L. A. (2005). Yoga as an intervention for children with attention problems. School Psychology Review, 34 (3), 415-424.
  33. Rayner, C. (1997). The incidence of workplace bullying. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 7 (3), 199-208. DOI:10.1002/(sici)1099-1298(199706)7:3<199::aid-casp418>3.0.co;2-h
  34. Riasudeen, S., & Narayanan , K. (2014). Relationship of organizational justice with constructive deviant behavior in manufacturing organizations. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 7 (4), 17-27. DOI:10.17010/pijom/2014/v7i4/59306
  35. Robinson, S. L., & Bennett, R. J. (1995). A typology of deviant workplace behaviors: A multidimensional scaling study. Academy of Management Journal, 38 (2), 555-572. DOI:10.2307/256693
  36. Robinson, S. L., & O'Leary-Kelly, A. M. (1998). Monkey see, monkey do: The influence of work groups on the antisocial behavior of employees. The Academy of Management Journal, 41 (6), 658-672. DOI:10.2307/256963
  37. Sahasi, G. (1984). A replicated study on the effects of yoga on cognitive functions. Indian Psychological Review, 27, 33-35.
  38. Shah, R., & Talati, P. (2013). The attitude virus: Curing negativity at the workplace. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 6 (11), 33-42. DOI:10.17010/pijom/2013/v6i11/60045
  39. Shapiro, D., & Cline, K. (2008). Mood changes associated with Iyengar Yoga practices: A pilot study. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 14 (1), 35- 44.
  40. Sharma, V. K., Gupta, S., Das, S., Mondal, S., Goswami, U., & Kumar, S. S. (2014). Comparison of effects of Sahaj Yoga meditation on cognitive functions in practising and non-practising healthy subjects. International Journal of Physiology, 2 (1), 146-151. DOI:10.5958/j.2320-608x.2.1.031
  41. Sivarethinamohan, D. (2008). Determinants of executive employees' stress at Indian multinationals. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 1 (2),23-31. DOI:10.17010/pijom/2008/v1i2/64667
  42. Spector, P. E. (2010). The relationship of personality to counterproductive work behavior (CWB): An integration of perspectives. Human Resource Management Review, 21(4), 342-352. doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2010.10.002
  43. Spector, P. E., & Zhou, Z. E. (2013). The moderating role of gender in relationships of stressors and personality with counterproductive work behavior. The Journal of Business and Psychology, 29 (4), 669-681. DOI:10.1007/s10869-013-9307-8
  44. Spector, P. E., Fox, S., Penney, L. M., Bruursema, K., Goh, A., & Kessler, S. (2006). The dimensionality of counterproductivity: Are all counterproductive behaviors created equal? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68 (3), 446-460. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2005.10.005
  45. Taylor, M. (2003). Yoga therapeutics: An ancient, dynamic systems theory. Techniques in Orthopaedics, 18 (1), 115-125. DOI:10.1097/00013611-200303000-00017
  46. Telles, S., Raghavendra, B. R., Naveen, K. V., Manjunath, N. K., Kumar, S., & Subramanya, P. (2013). Changes in autonomic variables following two meditative states described in yoga texts. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 19 (1), 35-42. DOI:10.1089/acm.2011.0282
  47. Vardi, Y., & Weitz. E. (2002). Using reasoned action theory to predict organizational misbehavior. Psychological Reports, 91, 1027-1040. DOI:10.2466/pr0.2002.91.3f.1027
  48. Vempati, R. P., & Telles, S. (2002). Yoga-based guided relaxation reduces sympathetic activity judged from baseline levels. Psychological Reports, 90 (2), 487- 494. DOI:10.2466/pr0.2002.90.2.487
  49. Vinita, S. (2010). Job burnout, individual coping styles and well-being at work: A comparative study of men and women employees of a private enterprise. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 3 (4), 45-50. DOI: 10.17010/pijom/2010/v3i4/60931
  50. Walia, K., & Narang, S. (2015). Job stress and job involvement: A study of IT professionals from North India. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 8 (4), 39-50. DOI:10.17010/pijom/2015/v8i4/63815
Editorial Scholar

Submit your Research to PIJM

Submit your Manuscript → Author Guidelines