Management Studies in Development and Evolution

A Fuzzy Cognitive Map of the Factors Influencing the Formation of Difficult Employee Behaviors

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohsen ArefNezhad 1
Leila Yarahmadi 2

1 Associate Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.

2 PhD Student, Government Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences,Univercity of Lorestan, Lorestan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/jmsd.2025.81538.4516
Abstract
Difficult employees are not inherently difficult people in all situations; the organizational conditions play a significant role in the emergence and increase of difficult behaviors among employees. The experience of working with these individuals can be very frustrating, as they represent a chaotic force in the workplace that negatively impacts the organizational environment and beyond. Their difficult behaviors can jeopardize organizational health and cause serious harm. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors that create difficult employees in government organizations and analyze these factors using the Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) method. This research employs an exploratory mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative) and is applied in nature. The statistical population includes university professors and managers of government organizations, from which 20 individuals were selected based on the principle of theoretical saturation using purposive sampling. The data collection tools for the qualitative section of the research were semi-structured interviews, while in the quantitative section, a questionnaire was used. The validity and reliability of these instruments were assessed through content validity, theoretical validity, and inter-coder and intra-coder reliability, as well as Cohen's Kappa test. Additionally, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed using content validity and test-retest reliability.

Keywords

Organizational difficulty
difficult employees
difficult employee behavior
factors leading to difficult employees
fuzzy mapping
Subjects
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Management Studies in Development and Evolution
Volume 34, Issue 116
Summer 2025
Pages 201-244

  • Receive Date 28 August 2024
  • Revise Date 02 February 2025
  • Accept Date 01 June 2025

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