BACKGROUND: While the attitudinal outcomes of organisational dehumanization have been a focus of research, its behavioural outcomes are a relatively ignored research area.

METHOD: Data were collected from 295 nurses working in hospitals across Pakistan via self-administered questionnaires with two measurement points to test the direct and indirect effects of organisational dehumanization.

RESULTS: The hypothesized relationships were tested with SPSS 25 and the Process Macro Model 7. The results showed that organisational dehumanization increased deviant behaviours among nurses directly and indirectly via job stress. Moreover, occupational self-efficacy plays moderation role and weakens the relationship between organisational dehumanization and job stress.

CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the existing literature by concentrating on predictors that trigger deviant behaviour among nurses. It also assessed the mediating impact of job stress, an essential endeavour for researchers and practitioners.