Çalışanların Alaycı Davranışları: Örgütsel Muhalefet ve Hedef Odaklılığın Etkisi

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to explain how different forms of organizational dissent and individual goal orientations interact in the emergence of employees’ sarcastic communication styles. The study examines how indirect forms of dissent (lateral and displaced dissent), developed in response to negative organizational experiences, may lay the groundwork for sarcastic behavior, within the context of performance-based goal orientation. Specifically, the study tests the effect of performance goal orientation on indirect dissent (lateral and displaced) and its indirect impact on sarcastic communication through these dissent forms. In other words, it is suggested that individuals motivated by the desire to demonstrate success to others or to avoid failure are more likely to engage in dissent that cannot be directly expressed or is displaced, and that such forms of dissent may trigger sarcasm as a communication strategy. The research was conducted with data collected from 250 employees working across various sectors in Turkey. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27 and AMOS 22, through confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation, regression, and multi-group path analysis. The findings indicate that performance goal orientation has significant indirect effects on sarcastic communication through indirect forms of dissent. These results suggest that goal orientation reflects not only motivational tendencies but also shapes organizational communication patterns and emotional responses. This study conceptualizes sarcasm not merely as an individual communication style, but as a dynamic and contextsensitive organizational behavior shaped by employees’ goals, emotional regulation strategies, and tendencies toward dissent.