Rule-Bending.

With increased pressure to perform, fewer resources, and more regulation, employees may justify a lack of compliance by calling it rule-bending rather than rule-breaking. The present study addresses this concern by analyzing situations where personnel decide to bend the rules, including an examination of motives, prudential judgment, and perceived threat to the organization. Qualitative analysis shows that when rule-bending was considered necessary, the perceived threat of this behavior to the organization was reduced, except when officials applied prudential judgment in their decision-making. Implications and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]