Organizational predictors of workplace deviance with mediating effect of organizational citizenship behavior in public universities in Malaysia

Abstract

Deviance in the workplace has been considered as one of the vital issues that influence outcomes of employees. There are many reasons for workers to be treated inappropriately in the workplace such as lack of organizational support, organizational justice and commitment, which lead to increase cost and decrease efficiency of organization. This research investigated the concurrent role of organizational justice, organizational ethical climate, perceived organizational support, organizational commitment and organizational trust as important determinants of organizational-related factors through organizational citizenship behavior on workplace deviance. In this research, 230 questionnaires were collected from six Research Universities in Malaysia. A quantitative method was used to test 16 hypotheses. Hypothesized relationships in the study were examined using PLSSEM. The results highlighted positive effects of organizational-related factors on organizational citizenship behavior and negative effects of organizational-related factors to workplace deviance. Organizational citizenship behavior also has a mediating effect between organizational-related factors and workplace deviance. Although, organizational trust and commitment were fully mediated organizational justice, organizational support and organizational ethical climate were partially mediated through organizational citizenship behavior on workplace deviance. In addition, the results of the study have compatibility with the theory of social exchange theory. Moreover, findings of this study have contributed theoretically to workplace deviance by providing additional evidence for the different effects of organizational-related factors and organizational citizenship behavior on workplace deviance. The results of this research will be useful for organizations in reducing workplace deviance, hence improving employees’ efficiency.