Effect of workplace environment cleanliness on judgment of counterproductive work behavior

We examined the association between workplace environment cleanliness and employees’ judgment of counterproductive work behavior (CWB). We recruited 59 participants who were employees of a large company in China, and assigned 28 to a clean workroom and 31 to a dirty workroom. We measured their judgment of whether or not behavior was acceptable, using the Counterproductive Work Behavior Checklist. Results showed that participants working in a clean environment tended to regard CWB as less acceptable than did those in a dirty environment, that is, a cleaner environment led to harsher judgment. Results suggested that there is a metaphorical association between environmental cleanliness and moral judgment. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.