The Right Way to Manage Rule Breakers

Rule-breaking in organizations is a common, often increasing phenomenon that requires nuanced leadership rather than reflexive punishment. Research across four decades identifies four distinct motivations for such behavior: self-interested, pro-social, corrupted, and edified. While self-interested rule-breaking warrants disciplinary action, other forms—such as employees bending rules to assist customers or colleagues—often signal that existing policies no longer align with operational realities. Leaders should cultivate psychological safety to encourage open dialogue, allowing them to identify patterns and determine whether rules require revision. Instead of assuming malicious intent, managers must practice curiosity, investigating the underlying drivers of non-compliance to distinguish between harmful actions and necessary adaptations. Michael Gill, an associate professor at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, emphasizes that effective management involves treating repeated rule-breaking as a diagnostic signal for organizational improvement rather than a simple disciplinary issue.