Investigating the effect of psychological contract breach on counterproductive work behavior: The mediating role of organizational cynicism

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The negative consequences of Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) include intentional malfeasance that damages an organization or its employees. These include decreased output, increased costs, decreased employee morale and discontent. When CWBs exist, the company’s reputation and employee turnover rates may suffer.

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this study is to increase the current understanding of PCB and CWBs, as well as the mediating function of OC in this relationship, among higher education employees.

METHODS:

Using IBM SPSS AMOS, the results of the survey were analyzed.

RESULTS:

PCB is positively correlated with CWB-O and CWB-I, suggesting that employee perspectives on PCB negatively influence their emotions and contribute to unethical business behavior. This study found that OC mediates the relationship between PCBs and CWBs and that uninformed organization behavior causes employees to be more discouraged and angrier and participate in CWB.

CONCLUSIONS:

Academic administrators must discover salary and benefit inadequacies to give incentives based on accurate performance reports, taking into consideration their bosses’ PC infractions. Therefore, institutions must promote loyalty and belonging to reduce PCB if it is poorly broken. Managers may lessen employee cynicism by stressing organizational support and listening to and rewarding employees.

Keywords

Psychological contract breach organizational cynicism counterproductive work behaviors higher education sector social exchange theory

Mohamed Abdelkhalek Omar Ahmed was born in Aswan, Egypt, in 1990. He received a B.S. in 2011 and a master’s degree in business administration in 2018. He works as an Assistant lecturer at The Higher Institute of E-Commerce Systems, Sohag, Egypt, and from 2020 to the present, he is a Ph.D. research scholar at School of Economics and Management, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China. My areas of interest are organizational behavior and human resources management.

Junguang Zhang is a professor of business administration at the School of Economics and Management at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China. He has several publications related to areas such as critical chain project management (CCPM); project management theory and practice; project risk prevention and management; information technology (IT) and communication project management; new product development and process improvement; and investment project decision analysis and evaluation.

1 Introduction

Upon joining, individuals create a psychological contract with their business by forming a set of shared assumptions about their roles and responsibilities inside the institution [1]. In organizational behavior, the term “psychological contract” (PC) is a mental schema or “system of beliefs” embodying an individual’s conceptions of their own and another’s obligations, such as income and professional advancement possibilities, which are described as “obligations or duties”.

When employees perceive that they have provided their promised contributions but that their organizations have not appropriately repaid them, In addition to recent empirical research has demonstrated that when employees’ “PC” fails, they are more likely to participate in unethical conduct, In other words, when one side in an employment relationship believes that the other has failed to live up to the promises and expectations of the relationship, this is known as a Psychological contract breach (PCB) [2, 3].

The PC is a crucial concept because workers whose employers are seen as failing to live up to their promises experience what is known as a PCB. Although significant empirical progress has been made in understanding the relationship between PCB and employee reactions, PC research has remained predominantly contemporaneous and has overlooked the temporal context in which PCB and employee reactions are interrelated [4].

One of the most stressful things an employee may go through is a breach of their psychological contract, which can harm their career and work satisfaction, citizenship behavior, job performance, health, and sleep [5]. For organizations, the question of whether or not to act ethically can be a source of internal strife [6]. PCB occurs when an employer fails to fulfil the agreed-upon benefits that were negotiated with an employee, such as a competitive salary, opportunities for promotions and career advancement, performance-based compensation, job security over an extended period, appropriate levels of authority and responsibility, provision of training, and support for career development. The phenomenon under consideration has been found to have detrimental consequences on the well-being of employees while concurrently instigating unfavorable outcomes for the organizations involved PCB occurs when an employer fails to fulfil the agreed-upon benefits that were negotiated with an employee, such as a competitive salary, opportunities for promotions and career advancement, performance-based compensation, job security over an extended period, appropriate levels of authority and responsibility, provision of training, and support for career development.

The phenomenon under consideration has been found to have detrimental consequences on the well-being of employees while concurrently instigating unfavorable outcomes for the organizations involved. To thrive and succeed in the ever-changing business landscape of today, it is crucial for forward-thinking firms to actively cultivate and enhance the character traits of their top-level managers [7].

When employees sense a breach of their psychological contract by top management, their attitudes towards top management will likely become unfavorable. When employees perceive a breach in their psychological contract by top management, it is quite probable that their views towards top management will turn unfavorable. To preserve balance in the trading relationship, individuals may engage in negative activities as a means of reciprocation [8, 9].

Moreover, “organizational cynicism” (OC) occurs when workers have a pessimistic outlook on their institutions. It’s the belief that management is dishonest, unreliable, and careless with staff well-being and that the company acts and makes choices based on its narrow interests rather than those of the entirety of the institution. Despite the prevalence of OC, a very intricate problem that develops at all levels of administrative organizations, experts have not given it any attention or importance due to the negative attitudes and organizational practices that perpetuate it; OC also suffers from relative neglect in administrative research, although several research studies indicate a widespread nature, high incidence, and frequency in Arab Nations [10]. Hence, OC is a complex issue that manifests itself at all levels of administration, However, this topic has not garnered much academics attention [11].

Counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) pertain to the attitudes, behaviors, and actions exhibited by employees that are contrary to the organization’s stated mission and objectives. These behaviors have a highly detrimental impact on businesses and the broader community. Furthermore, CWBs are Any deliberate conduct exhibited by a member of an organization that the organization perceives as conflicting with its lawful objectives [12]. Hence, CWBs encompass a wide spectrum of actions, such as absenteeism, presenteeism, tardiness, engagement in non-work-related activities, theft or sabotage, and substance use during working hours [13, 14].

We aim to expand the current understanding of PCB and CWBs and the mediating role of OC in this relationship for employees of the higher education sector. However, increasing interest in CWBs has recently resulted in numerous studies on the causes of this behavior [15]. Moreover, our understanding of the determinants of CWBs remains insufficient, as only modest relationships have been identified in numerous relevant studies [16], therefore, the global economy loses billions annually due to CWBs. Also, Holtz and Harold [17] stated described them as “intentional acts that are antithetical to organizational rules and detrimental to a company or its people” [18].

According to the research by Spector and Fox [19], the intention is a distinguishing characteristic of CWBs; the adverse repercussions of unintentional activities do not qualify as CWBs; furthermore, CWBs are voluntarily engaged in behaviors that are detrimental to the organization [20, 21] also discovered gender differences, with males being found to engage in more CWBs than females, in addition to being more prevalent among males than females [22], although cynicism is linked to worse in-role performance, the results of a meta-analysis by Chiaburu et al., [23] found no such association between cynicism and other types of performance, including organizational citizenship behaviors OCB and CWBs.

Many authors have emphasized the necessity for more study into the effects of cynicism on broader dimensions of performance because productivity is a primary concern for all enterprises; similarly, CWBs have an immediate effect on organizational performance and can cause catastrophic financial losses for a company [24], the association between cynicism and CWBs has to be defined, as CWBs are both optional and harmful to businesses [23, 25].

In recent years, there has been a significant prevalence of education systems and teaching techniques enhanced by technology. The primary factor contributing to this phenomenon may be the advancement of digital technology and the widespread use of blended learning methodologies. The educational landscape has seen significant transformations in recent decades due to the proliferation of intelligent gadgets, tablets, online courses, artificial intelligence, social media developments, and the Corona pandemic [26].

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a profoundly transformative global event, eliciting widespread astonishment and altering the course of the world Kholaif et al. [27]. The ongoing worldwide epidemic has caused significant disruptions on a global scale beyond any previous occurrences. The cumulative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global social and economic losses are difficult to comprehend. The impending and approaching consequences of this phenomenon have caused significant disruption in several aspects of human society, including governance, economic systems, healthcare infrastructure, social frameworks, and the overall global cohesion as a unified civilization Paliwal et al. [28].

The persistent worldwide epidemic has had a profound impact on conventional face-to-face teaching, prompting institutions of higher education to adopt novel learning management systems Sobaih et al. [29]. Furthermore, the existing body of literature has examined the impact of the recent pandemic on employees’ work behavior satisfaction. It has also investigated the labor practices challenges posed by the pandemic Liu et al.; Ge et al.; Abbas et al. [30 –32]. These studies have highlighted the role of the pandemic in fostering economic growth in developing nations and attaining sustainable development objectives Wang et al. [33].

This research aims to expand the current understanding of PCB and CWBs, and the mediating role of OC in this relationship for employees of the higher education sector. Moreover, our research will contribute to literature in several aspects; this study was conducted. First, we provide assessments to examine the behavior of reluctant stayers. “Reluctant stayers” refers to employees who remain employed despite being unhappy and would prefer to resign if other options were available. Because of various factors, a lack of alternative employment opportunities, and a dread of change [34], these Egyptian employees in higher education are secure in their roles and committed to their communities.

Second, the previous literature is limited to some aspects, which creates our research gap as follows, most of the previous studies conducted are in the context of Western countries under the psychological contract breach [35, 36]. However, there are rare studies that focus on developing country contexts such as Egypt, as previous studies did not pay attention to the higher education sector in Egypt, despite its importance and the role it plays in the progress and prosperity of the country. Third, our study provides a better understanding of the breach-CWBs relationship, including CWB-O and CWB-I.

We need to go further from the static snapshot of employee responses to the breach and deeper understand the outcomes [37]. prior research has mainly viewed the relationship through the perspective of affective events theory [38, 39]. but this study, as mentioned earlier, through SET theory. Fourth, Evidence gap Some studies have shown that cynicism has considerable effects on CWBs [40], while others have shown no association between the two [41].

Cynicism is a common problem at work, but few studies look at the link between cynicism and bad things like slacking off or doing other CWBs [42, 43]. There need to be more studies in the education sector, Özdemir and Demircioglu [44] study that there is an influence between PCB and CWBs in the education sector in Turkey.

Fifth, our study differs from this study in that the study of Özdemir and Demircioglu [44] took some dimensions of the psychological contract. Still, our study took the PCB as a general dimension and the mediating role of OC.

2 Literature review and hypotheses

2.1 PC and PCB

PCB is the “cognitive belief” among workers that their employer has not met at least one of its commitments to them [45]. According to Tsachouridi and Nikandrou [39], unfavorable attitudes and behaviors are expressed through social exchange processes on the side of employees when a breach occurs. In a similar vein, according to Blau [46], workers may lose interest in their jobs if they do not feel like they are getting what they bargained for from their employer. As a result, the psychological contract theory is founded on social exchange.

It discusses how employees and employers develop mutual, reciprocal relationships based on both declared and inferred promises [47]. Previous studies have shown that if an employee’s “psychological contract” with their employer is breached, it can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and bad conduct [48, 49].

In the same context, PCB can also lead to thwarted feelings of responsibility to the organization, especially “whether one should care about [the organization’s] well-being and should assist the organization in achieving its aims.” From the perspective of affective events, taking the above example, workers’ perceptions of the organization’s duties, as expressed via a breach of the psychological contract, may or may not correspond to the promises made by the organization [50].

Thus, PCB refers to an unpleasant and uncomfortable incident in the workplace that can lead to negative feelings like despair and anxiety, which can lead to behaviors like employee retreat or unproductive work conduct that might hinder the organization’s operations [2, 51].

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the daily lives of individuals. According to a study conducted by Hussam Al Halbusi et al. [52], governmental authorities have implemented various lockdown measures that directly impact online purchasing behavior and the functioning of institutions.

The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic has profoundly affected several aspects of global society, including social, political, economic, and socio-cultural systems on a worldwide scale. Health communication and preventive measures, such as adhering to stay-at-home guidelines, implementing obligatory quarantine campaigns, practicing social distancing, imposing restrictions on mobility and travel, implementing border closures, and enforcing community lockdowns, have been identified as effective strategies in combating the spread of diseases Zhenhuan Li et al. [53].

Due to the stringent limitations imposed on social gatherings, the ability to conduct business and economic operations in a normal manner has been severely hindered. The ongoing epidemic has presented several obstacles for organizational enterprises Jaffar Abbas et al. [32], encompassing modifications in their job responsibilities, working environments, and work timetables Gong and Sims [54]. Furthermore, extant literature has examined the impact of the current pandemic on employees’ labor behavior and PCB Shah et al.; Micah et al. [55, 56]. The behavior of employees has the potential to impact the success of institutions and contribute to an increase in the economic burden faced by these institutions Li et al. [57].

Furthermore, developmental economies are widely recognized for their inherent instability, which poses significant challenges for enterprises seeking to make long-term investments. Developed nations, known for their advocacy and implementation of long-term planning theories, encounter substantial obstacles when applying similar principles in emerging economies [58].

2.2 PCB and OC

The social exchange theory (SET) According to Blau [46], social duties form the basis of human interactions. If one side is reliable in meeting its commitments, the other will do the same. The concept of reciprocity is the idea that one person’s behavior may affect another’s. Employee disengagement can emerge from breaches of the psychological contract created when an employer fails to meet their responsibilities. This research was inspired in part by the SET theory. Like economic interactions and their exchanges, SET is based on analogy. It is predicated on interactions between people, where one party is driven by the benefits they expect to obtain from another [59].

Basic to this theory is the idea that for a relationship to flourish, both sides must benefit from the exchanges between them [60]. This Research focuses significantly on investigating cynicism and its effects on people and organizations. Studies that define cynicism thus far have focused on its negative emotional effects on the individual and the world around them [38]. Organizational cynicism is a negative view of an organization’s objectives, values, and procedures. It is the belief that the organization needs to be more present, reliable, and effective at accomplishing its mission. Cognitive, behavioral, and affective dimensions comprise OC [61, 62].

Cognitive cynicism is the belief that the workplace lacks integrity, employees’ behaviors are unreliable and inconsistent, and employees are capable of deception. Affective cynicism alludes to the experience gained through the institution as well as through sentiments and cognitions such as resentment, anger, and frustration. Behavioral cynicism refers to a behavior pattern demonstrating a shortage of commitment and dedication to the organization. Employees with behavioral cynicism may engage in absenteeism, tardiness, and other forms of deviant behavior in the workplace [61 , 63–65].

Various factors contribute to the development of organizational cynicism in employees, including high-stress levels, increased complexity in the organization, Poor morale and productivity, low social support, miscommunication, low autonomy, work-role clashes, PCB, incompetent management, trust deficits, hostile work environment; also, pessimistic workers are more likely to become discouraged and contemplate leaving their companies to find happiness elsewhere [63 , 66].

An increase in workplace misbehavior and rudeness may come from workers’ increased exposure to psychological contract breaches brought about by encounters with their coworkers [67, 68]. According to the findings, PCB significantly positively affects workplace cynicism. This result has also been confirmed by other studies [25 , 70].

This research offers the following hypothesis:

H1.PCB has a significant positive effect on OC.

2.3 PCB and CWBs

Absenteeism, withdrawal behaviors, and deviant work behavior are indicators of employee disengagement. These are just a few of the CWBs [25]. According to Khokhar and Zia-ur-Rehman [71], “CWBs” are “voluntary action that contradicts organization values and harms the welfare of members, the organization, or both.” To put it another way, “counterproductive work activity” is both purposeful and illegal, with the express purpose of causing harm to the company.

In addition, workplace CWB refers to any action taken by an employee that goes against their employer’s values, norms, or legitimate interests and harms the company, its employees, or its stakeholders [72, 73]. The five dimensions of CWB outlined by Spector et al., [74] include misuse, deviation in production, sabotage, withdrawal, and theft. The literature provides empirical support for the claim that deviant workplace behaviors aimed at individuals fall under CWB-I, whereas deviant workplace behaviors directed at the organization as a whole fall under CWB-O. On the other hand, production deviance is the intentional underachievement (e.g., delaying) of required labor duties. Sabotage is defined as the intentional destruction of employer property, whereas withdrawal is defined as any action to reduce the time spent at work. Finally, theft is the unlawful taking of another person’s property, usually with the intent to deprive them of it [75, 76].

Three criteria must be met before an action may be considered unproductive in the workplace: First, the action must be deliberate rather than accidental for it to be considered counterproductive. Second, it may have negative outcomes, and third, it runs counter to the legitimate objectives of the organization. Minor CWB symptoms (such as procrastination) might progress to major ones, e.g., theft and corruption [72]; however, the negative effects, such as unproductive work conduct [76] and the correlation between job satisfaction or organizational commitment and counter productive behavior on the job, have received less research attention [77]; since happy, dedicated workers have a strong sense of belonging to their company, they are less likely to act disruptively on the job [78]; research shows that CWBs that pose risks to the company and its employees are widespread. Furthermore, stealing is a problem in virtually every job, and Financial losses are also substantial due to CWBs [44, 79].

Businesses are interested in CWBs for various reasons, including the estimated $400 billion in potential annual costs, the problem is pervasive and has perpetrators at all levels of the organization, and the fact that they could result in extremely high costs [80]. Long-term patterns of unproductive behavior at work have been linked to human and organizational factors [81]; employee attitudes and perspectives include a sense of unfairness and inequity, social isolation or ridicule, humiliation and disrespect, PCB, a misunderstanding of company support, and a pessimistic view of organizational policies [11].

Employees take workplace acts of sabotage (CWBs) to undermine the effectiveness of their company or team. Although scholars have attempted to subdivide further CWBs, categories based on the purpose of the action (the organization and the individual) remain the most often used [74]. Identified five reasons for CWBs: abuse, production variability, sabotage, employee withdrawal, and theft [76]; using the findings of Jensen [82], who discovered that breach is associated with abuse, production deviation, and withdrawal, we extend their argument and claim that PCB also impacts the two components of the CWBs: CWB-O and CWB- I, or more precisely, we hypothesize:

H2. PCB has a significant positive effect on CWB-O.

H3. PCB has a significant positive effect on CWB-I.

2.4 The mediating role of OC between PCB and CWBs

According to Johnson and O’Leary-Kelly [41], OC in the workplace develops when employees start to suspect that their employer is not being completely forthright with them; data from prior studies suggests that cynicism in the workplace is strongly correlated with a breach of the “PC” between an employer and worker [61, 83] and according to a study conducted by Bashir and Nasir [69] on a total of 279 employees, there is a positive correlation between these variables.

PCB occurs when an employee believes that the company is not living up to all or part of the promises it made to them in the employment contract [45]; when an enterprise repeatedly falls short of expectations and pledges, employees may begin to develop skepticism about the genuineness of its leadership [25].

OC may serve as a defense mechanism against the internal tension caused by the desire to retain a positive self-view while still participating in CWB. Cynicism will likely emerge in workers who recognized a PCB and had violation sentiments to the point where it impacted their conduct CWB.

Meanwhile, OC makes people more likely to anticipate PCB in the future because they are more likely to see it as congruent with their current views [4]. Also, lower confidence in the organization is a common feature of such views, and it has been found to correlate positively with later-observed PCB. Some preliminary data seem to support the idea that cynicism plays a significant role in the relationship between PCB and CWB [84, 85]; therefore, we hypothesized the following:

H4. OC will mediate the effect of PCB on CWB-O.

H5. OC will mediate the effect of PCB on CWB-I.

According to SET Theory and prior research, we created a multivariate model to test our hypotheses, specifically the mediating role of OC between PCB and CWBs (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

Research framework.

3 Methodology

3.1 To study the following research objectives

study the effect of psychological contract breach on organizational cynicism.

study the effect of psychological contract breach on CWB-O Behaviors toward the organization.

study the effect of psychological contract breach on CWB-I Behaviors toward individuals.

organizational cynicism will mediate the effect of psychological contract breach on CWB-O.

organizational cynicism will mediate the effect of psychological contract breach on CWB-I.

3.2 Samples and procedures

The research population was unknown and consisted of employees of the higher education sector in Egypt. To determine the sample size selected from the unknown population, the researcher used the following random sampling formula to determine how many people to sample from the study population of workers.

This investigation was conducted using the questionnaire-based survey research method to get feedback from employee’s Li et al.; Yao et al. [86, 87]. We gathered information by surveying a random sample of 400 Employees. Employees in Egypt’s Higher Education sector constituted the unidentified research population. To determine the sample size selected from an unknown population, the researcher used the following random sample formula to calculate the sample size selected from the population of employees under study, demonstrated by the following equation. $n = [p (1 - p) / [d^{2} / z^{2})]$ where:

d: The permissible error during estimation (5%),

Z: Standard value based on a 95% degree of confidence, which is 1.96,

P: The proportion of a population with a particular characteristic is 0.5

Therefore:

n = (0.5 * 0.5) / ((0.05 * * 2) / (1.96 * * 2))

n ≅ 384 respondents

3.3 Data collection

The researchers also designed the questionnaire form after reviewing the sources and measures used in previous studies related to the same topic and prepared by other researchers, with some modifications, to suit the scope of application of this study. Our survey was distributed to the employees of the higher education sector in Egypt.

The survey will be distributed by email as well as Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn group posts with an URL link for the survey will be sent to individuals requesting that they take the survey, and this was during the period from (1 October 2022) till (20 November 2022). 15 out of 400 received surveys were discarded because they needed more information. After data cleansing, 385 surveys were ready for analysis after being cleansed.

During the process of data collecting and analysis, it is crucial to prioritize the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the datasets used to uphold the validity and reliability of the findings. Regrettably, in the current phase of our work, we found a complication about a specific subgroup of the forms. A total of 15 questionnaires were determined to be inappropriate for further statistical analysis. The data of these forms was found to need to be excluded, lacking crucial factors or information that would make them valuable for our research. The choice to exclude specific datasets was made carefully since our studies must rely on dependable data. This approach enhances the legitimacy and applicability of our research findings.

We illustrate more detailed demographic information about the sample in Table 1.

Table 1
Demographic information of respondents

Variable Items Frequency Percentage

Gender Male 202 52.5

Female 183 47.5

Age Less than 30 years 94 24.4

30 to < 40 207 53.8

More than 40 years 84 21.8

Education Below bachelor’s degree 69 17.9

Bachelor’s degree 244 63.4

Postgraduate 72 18.7

Years of Less Than 5 Years 110 28.6

experience From 5 To 10 Years 171 44.4

More Than 10 Years 104 27.0

Variable	Items	Frequency	Percentage
Gender	Male	202	52.5
	Female	183	47.5
Age	Less than 30 years	94	24.4
	30 to < 40	207	53.8
	More than 40 years	84	21.8
Education	Below bachelor’s degree	69	17.9
	Bachelor’s degree	244	63.4
	Postgraduate	72	18.7
Years of	Less Than 5 Years	110	28.6
experience	From 5 To 10 Years	171	44.4
	More Than 10 Years	104	27.0

3.4 Measures

Except for the demographic factors, all the variables in this study were measured using a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); all measures in this study come from validated scales in prior literature. Each construct had a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 representing strongly disagreeing and 5 representing strongly agreeing with the statement. The study relied on the scale prepared by Kickul [88] (26 statements) to measure (PCB), Brandes et al. [89] and Abdelgalil [10] (14 statements) scale to measure (OC), and Kelloway et al., [90] (10 statements) to measure (CWBs).

3.5 Statistical methods of study

Some statistical techniques and tests were used to analyze the research data and test its hypotheses. These techniques and tests include the following:

Descriptive Statistics: including Frequencies, percentages, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation will also be employed to describe the research variables and study sample.

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA): is a special form of factor analysis, most commonly used in social research. It is used to test whether measures of a construct are consistent with a researcher’s understanding of the nature of that construct (or factor). As such, the objective of confirmatory factor analysis is to test whether the data fit a hypothesized measurement model.

Reliability and Validity analysis: will be used for verifying the degree of reliability and stability of multi-items scales used in this research. It illustrates the degree of internal consistency among items that form the scale. There are Four main criteria to evaluate reliability and validity. These criteria are Convergent validity using Average Variance Extracted (AVE), Discriminant validity, Cronbach’s Alpha, and Composite Reliability CR:

Convergent validity (AVE) Extent to which indicators of a specific construct converge or share a high proportion of variance in common. It should be higher than 0.5.

Discriminant validity Extent to which a construct is truly distinct from other constructs. It can be calculated as; the square root of AVE being greater than any inter factor correlation by Hair et al. [91].

Cronbach’s Alpha refers to the degree to which the items that make up the scale hang together ‘. Are they all measuring the same underlying construct? One of the most commonly used indicators of internal consistency is Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Ideally, the Cronbach alpha coefficient of a scale should be above 0.6 by Bonett & Wright [92].

Composite reliability refers to the total amount of true score variance in relation to the total score variance. It should be higher than 0.7.

Structural equation modeling variable and used for predicting the dependent variable based on the values of number of independent variables, verifying the strength degree between the independent and dependent variable, and determining the impact of mediating variable on the relation between the independent variable and the dependent variable.

3.6 Analysis strategy

The researcher will depend on Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability to assess the constructs’ reliability; CFA is used to validate the scales; the researcher will then test the hypotheses suggested. Using IBM SPSS AMOS, the confirmatory factor analysis was done on all 47 items in the measurement model. There are four constructs in the proposed model (PCB, OC, CWB-O, CWB-I). All constructs are measured in a first-order reflective manner using a five-level Likert scale. The theoretical model is built based on previous studies reviewed and exploratory research.

The internal consistency of each variable was supported as composite reliability, Cronbach’s alphas of study constructs gave results above 0.70, exceeding the recommended value proposed by [93]; see Table 2). The value of average variance extracted for each construct ranged from 0.705 to 0.835, exceeding the recommended value of 0.50 suggested by [93]. Therefore, convergent validity was supported. Moreover, the average variance extracted square root for all variables was higher than its correlation with any other factor, which supports the discriminant validity of the research variables ([91]; Table 2).

Table 2
Reliability and validity

Construct AVE Cronbach’s alpha CR PCB OC CWB_O CWB_I

PCB 0.705 0.982 0.982 0.840

OC 0.758 0.979 0.978 0.505 0.872

CWB_O 0.766 0.940 0.942 0.606 0.736 0.875

CWB_I 0.835 0.961 0.962 0.620 0.734 0.855 0.914

Construct	AVE	Cronbach’s alpha	CR	PCB	OC	CWB_O	CWB_I
PCB	0.705	0.982	0.982	0.840
OC	0.758	0.979	0.978	0.505**	0.872
CWB_O	0.766	0.940	0.942	0.606**	0.736**	0.875
CWB_I	0.835	0.961	0.962	0.620**	0.734**	0.855**	0.914

Table 3

Confirmatory factor analysis model fit measures

CMIN	4167.656	–
DF	1528	–
CMIN/DF	2.728	Between 1 and 5
CFI	0.950	> 0.90
GFI	0.945	> 0.90
SRMR	0.04	< 0.08
RMSEA	0.049	< 0.08

Table 4

Regression results

Hypotheses	Estimated	Correlation	Coefficient of	Results	Supported?
	parameter β_i	R	determination R²
H1: PCB has a significant positive effect on OC.	0.610	0.645	0.416	(P = 0.001)	Yes**
H2: PCB has a significant positive effect on CWB-O.	0.368	0.581	0.338	(P = 0.000)	Yes**
H3: PCB has a significant positive effect on CWB-I.	0.379	0.588	0.346	(P = 0.000)	Yes**

**Significant at p-value < 0.001.

The model fit of the confirmatory factor analysis was evaluated and found to be acceptable, with a CMIN/DF of 2.728, which is excellent, the CFI is 0.95 and the GFI is 0.945, both of which are greater than 0.90. The SRMR was excellent at 0.04, which is less than the target of 0.08. The RMSEA was 0.049, which was less than the 0.08 target. Results show a link exists between independent variables (PCB, OC, CWB-O, CWB-I) and their latent dimensions; also, model fit indicators achieved the acceptable level, while others came close to the required level. Also, model fit Indicators achieved the acceptable level, and others came close to the required level”.

4 Results

The researcher used AMOS to conduct a “Structural Equation Modeling” (SEM) analysis on the research hypotheses. As shown in Table 5, the Structural Model corresponding to our research model had good model fit across all model fit measures, where the CMIN/DF is 1.438, which is excellent, the CFI is 0.97 and the GFI is 0.96, both of which are greater than 0.90. The RMSEA was excellent at 0.04, which is less than the target of 0.07. The PCLOSE was 0.713, which was greater than the 0.05 target.

Our structural model explains approximately 45.5% of the variation in organizational cynicism, 68.8% of CWB-O, and 68.6% of CWB-I. Based on our hypothesized relationships, we analyzed direct and indirect paths concurrently using standard, non-parametric bootstrapping to estimate confidence intervals using 5,000 bootstrap samples.

4.1 Direct effects

As shown in Fig. 2 and Table 4, From the results of the coefficient of determination (R2), we found that the percentage of variance that happened in Organizational Cynicism because of psychological contract Breach in H1 was (41. 6%). in the H2, the percentage of variance which happened in CWB-O because of psychological contract breach is (33.8%) and regarding H3 the percentage of variance found on CWB-I because of psychological contract breach is (34.6%).

Fig. 2

Direct and indirect relationship.

Table 5

SEM model fit measures

Measure	Estimate	Threshold	Reference
CMIN	2.86	–
DF	2	–
CMIN/DF	1.43	< 3.0
GFI	0.961	> .90	Hair et al. (2010)
CFI	0.972	> .90	Hair et al. (2010)
RMSEA	0.041	< .07	Hair et al. (2010)
PCLOSE	0.713	> .05	Hair et al. (2010)

Table 6

Mediating effect results

Hypotheses	Direct	Indirect	Total	Results	Supported?
H4. OC will mediate the effect of PCB on CWB-O.	0.368	0.381	0.749	(P < 0.05)	Yes**
H5. OC will mediate the effect of PCB on CWB-I.	0.379	0.398	0.777	(P < 0.05)	Yes**

**Confidence level is 95%, Significance level P value < 0.05, t value±1.96 (Acceptance level of social research).

4.2 Mediating effects

As shown in Table 6, the fourth hypothesis (H4; OC will mediate the relationship between PCB and CWB-O) was supported and showed OC positively mediated the positive effect of PCB on CWB-O (β= 0.381, p = 0.001); hence, it is partial mediation where originally there was a relationship between PCB and CWB-O, which has been increased with the insertion of the mediator variable. The fifth hypothesis (H5; OC will mediate the relationship between PCB and CWB-I) was supported and showed OC positively mediated the positive effect of PCB on CWB-I (β= 0.398, p = 0.002). Hence, it is partial mediation where originally there was a relationship between PCB and CWB-I, which has been increased with the insertion of the mediator variable; therefore, we postulate the following H4: there is an increase in the coefficient of regression (Beta) with 0.02 where it was 0.368 of the direct effect, and in the indirect 0.381, with a level of significant “P-value 0.001” and H5: there is an increase in the coefficient of regression (Beta) with 0.02 where it was 0.379 of the direct effect, and in the indirect 0.398, with a level of significant “P-value 0.002”.

5 Discussion

Our study offers a detailed analysis of the complex relationship between PCB and OC, as well as the resulting impact on CWBs. This discussion highlights the importance of psychological contracts in the context of organizations, stressing their impact on employee behaviors and the entire Institution environment. The claim that there is a positive correlation between PCB and OC, supported by Sheikh et al. [70]; provides a solid basis for argumentation. Moreover, the cognitive process established by cynical workers who apply the organization’s cynicism as a heuristic to analyze information is fundamental.

These heuristics may provide insight into why these personnel are prone to potential PCB, an area that warrants more empirical investigation. The scholarly contributions of Bashir and Nasir, Jiang et al., and Kim and Goo Shin [69 , 94–96], contribute to the ongoing discussion, confirming the well-established correlation between PC and OC. However, more clarification of the essence and causation of this association would provide academic advantages [97]. There is a valid presumption that the adverse consequences of PCB are on the underlying social agreement between employees and organizations.

The observation of substantial implications creates sentiments of perceived unfairness and unfulfilled expectations resulting from PCB. This phenomenon offers a conducive environment for comprehending the gradual decline of trust inside an organization, which is fundamental in fostering effective interactions between employees and employers. The notion is further supported by the works of Griep and Vantilborgh, [98] and PCB positively affects CWB-I, this is consistent with Griep and Vantilborgh, [94] which provide more evidence on the role of PCB in facilitating both organizational CWB-O and interpersonal CWB-I.

The many coping strategies, encompassing feelings of anger and even seeking retaliation, present a bleak depiction of the possible negative trajectory that Institutions may experience when they fail to address the psychological well-being of their employees. While some research has shown a direct relationship between PCB and CWBs Griep et al.; Li and Chen; Griep et al.; Ma et al.; Nadim et al. [4 , 99–101], other studies have indicated an indirect association between PCB and CWBs Jahanzeb et al.; Kraak et al. [8, 102]. The discussion about the psychological implications of PCB is notably stimulating.

Workers’ perceptions of PCBs hurt their emotions, allowing them to harm their businesses through bad behavior. The result agrees with Gürlek [82], Johnson and Kelly [49] and Chrobot [103]. On the other hand, when employees experience a breach of a PC based on explicit performance objectives and specific conditions, they not only acquire intents to quit the firm, but they also engage in CWBs. To sum up, a significant positive link exists between PCB and CWBs among workers; this agrees with findings from other research like, Morrison and Robinson [104], Özdemir and Demircioglu [84], Griep et al., [99] and Fine et al., [85]; this result is consistent with the SET theory hypothesis, which proposes that workers may increase their use of CWBs in situations when they feel they are not receiving adequate compensation from their employer.

A notable aspect of this work is its focus on the cultural and regional disparities present in current literature. Acknowledging that examining nuances related to PCB and OC has been focused on Western contexts presents an inherent bias in our comprehension. The focus on Egypt, presents encouraging prospects for prospective study endeavors, Egypt’s postsecondary education system has yet to reach its full potential. Egypt is renowned for its robust education system in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) area, with a total of 44 universities and 830 higher education institutes.

These institutions collectively cater to a student population of over 3 million students [105]. Iorember et al. [106] have emphasized the regional ecological issues and conflicts, which indicate that external socio-political elements may also impact organizational dynamics. The findings align with prior research that has elucidated the issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several companies adopted remote work rules, although employees in the public sector were obligated to attend their designated workplaces physically. The event mentioned above contributed to PCB.

The organizations urged their employees to be physically present due to client reluctance to adopt online services and digital payment methods. Nevertheless, there has been a notable transition towards digital banking, although a considerable segment prefers in-person banking experiences Mehta et al. [107], posits that there exists a correlation between the experience of PCB and heightened levels of occupational stress. Hence, when employees are subjected to demanding work environments, such as perceived psychosocially challenging situations, participating in counterproductive workplace behaviors may be a strategy for managing the challenges associated with these conditions.

In the provided case, it is anticipated that employees will exhibit behaviors associated with knowledge-hiding (KH) as a reaction to a perceived PCB. According to the research conducted by Chaudhary and Islam [108], it is evident that employees who experience negative consequences see a violation of their organization’s promise. Consequently, they respond to this stressful circumstance by refraining from sharing crucial information with their coworkers. Furthermore, this study builds upon the existing PC theory by addressing a hitherto overlooked aspect: the possible ramifications of seeing a breach in the psychological contract, specifically with outcomes mentioned in the behavior literature, such as instances of misconduct in the workplace Culiberg et al. [109].

Prior research provides valuable insights into the evaluations and reactions of PCs and the emotions linked to breaches and violations of PC usage among low-skilled employees in the hospitality sector at SIE. According to Kraak et al. [110], employees’ reactions diverged from the dominant discourse around mass resignation. Instead of completely disassociating themselves from the company, individuals exhibited a greater tendency to exhibit negligent and unproductive behaviors in the workplace.

Empirical research consistently demonstrates that workplace ostracism significantly influences the prevalence of CWB among employees. The occurrence of ostracism has been shown as a prelude to CWB in the Chinese context. Considering the negative experiences encountered within the Chinese corporation, employees later demonstrated bad behaviors as a response to the organization. The situation above illustrates the negative reciprocity principle, which is a fundamental idea within the context of psychological contract theory. Individuals exhibiting heightened levels of self-esteem are inclined to interpret rejection from their colleagues as a more substantial challenge to their self-image, resulting in an intensified perception of betrayal.

As a result, these individuals are more likely to demonstrate negative behaviors Liu et al. [111]. Limited research has been dedicated to examining women’s experiences with workplace misconduct, with an even scarcer emphasis on recognizing the importance of female employees’ supporting perspectives. Enhanced understanding of the perilous dynamics associated with this phenomenon may be a viable approach to mitigating its occurrence, particularly for women more susceptible to workplace incivility than their male counterparts Di Fabio & Duradoni [112]. Previous research findings indicate that incorporating the personal norm of negative reciprocity into a broader conceptual framework can challenge the prevailing belief that women exhibit lower tendencies to engage in antisocial behaviors than men. According to Gervasi et al. [113], females are more likely to reciprocate favors than males.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a substantial influence on occupational stress experienced by employees, hence impacting multiple institutions Zhuang et al.; Yu et al. [114, 115]. our research focused on the higher education sector in Egypt. The analyses showed that participants’ PCB has a High breach of the PC— this finding disaccord with those of previous studies. For example, an Özdemir and Demircioglu [44] study where the PC was applied in the Turkish education sector showed that Turkish workers had a moderate PC.

The analyses showed that participants’ PCB had a High breach of the PC— this finding disaccord with those of previous studies. For example, an Özdemir and Demircioglu [44] study where the PC was applied in the Turkish education sector showed that Turkish workers had a moderate PC. It is feasible for the output of one employee-employer exchange to serve as the input of another, resulting in a recursive action-reaction pattern.

Furthermore, we expanded prior findings on the PCB and CWBs link by emphasizing the relevance of attributions of blame in an employee’s judgment of whether or not the Institution is trustworthy (CWB-O) or the individuals themselves are responsible for an activity (CWB-I) [4], Consistent with the findings, when workers become aware of a PCB, they engage in actions that are CWBs to the Institution or specific individuals.

According to research Griep and Vantilborgh [84], although OC is associated with feelings of indifference, resignation, and even withdrawal from a situation or relationship, cynical employees do not appear to withdraw from their exchange relationship. Instead, they use their organization’s skepticism as a heuristic to evaluate incoming information, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will be a potential PCB [94].

6 Theoretical implications

These are a few areas where our research contributes to the management literature. We began by investigating the mutual influence of CWB and PCB. When confronted with a traumatic event such as PCB, employees attempt to make sense of it by identifying its underlying cause. We discovered that individuals believed the institutions mediated the link between PCBs and CWBs.

This finding supports the SET theory’s hypothesized chain of causation, which begins with perceptions and progresses to attitudes and actions [46]. When workers feel they aren’t getting what they put into an organization (e.g., respect), they develop unfavorable attitudes (such as organizational cynicism) and start engaging in counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) to make up for it.

7 Practical implications

Our findings emphasize the significance of prompt intervention by employers upon learning of an employee’s perception of a PCB. If you do this, the transaction link will be repaired more quickly. Managers may view skeptical workers as “a bunch of rotten apples,” yet they may have “spoiled the fruit” by breaching the PC. Therefore, leaders must prevent cynicism from leading to PCB.

According to Griep and Vantilborgh [94], managers should be truthful and fair with their staff members while also being able to identify and defend the necessity for PCBs. In doing so, they foster conditions in which skepticism is less likely to flourish and catalyzes subsequent PCB perceptions. This study’s findings have significant implications for the management of CWB in the services industry, particularly in the Egyptian higher education sector. First, given that PCB may lead to unfavorable attitudes and actions at work (OC, CWB), CWB must be avoided at all costs.

To do this, institutions should make credible promises to workers during the hiring process, team-building activities, and day-to-day interactions. As it is challenging for Egyptian institutions to keep all their commitments to employees, they may explain the broken promise and offer alternative types of compensation, as well as lowering the burden of bureaucratic tasks on institution output, which has been linked to increased feelings of hopelessness and dissatisfaction among Egyptian employees in high education.

Second, as OC is connected favorably with CWB, businesses should work to eradicate its impact. Several strategies exist for boosting an organization’s credibility. To lessen the prevalence of cynicism in the workplace, a culture of mutual support and fairness should be fostered. It’s also important for there to be transparent two-way communication between management and staff.

Organizational values and care are communicated to employees through open lines of communication, which not only serve to direct work and articulate policies but also provide feedback. Organizations can facilitate open dialogue by holding frequent meetings at which workers are given a forum to voice their opinions and make acceptable requests to upper management [25].

8 Conclusions

Current findings suggest that employees in the higher education sector are more prone to engaging in unproductive actions due to PCB and OC. Therefore, it is important to foster a culture of organizational justice, so everyone knows they are treated fairly within the rules and that there is no favoritism among them. Also, managers are responsible for pinpointing areas of inadequacy, such as pay and benefits, in academic institutions so that they may rectify the situation by distributing rewards that align with employees’ actual efforts and results, as reflected in accurate performance reports.

This measure is implemented in response to the acknowledgment that employers have breached the privacy of their employees by tampering with their personal computers. Therefore, organizations must foster a sense of loyalty and affiliation among individuals, even when accidental breaches occur. Once managers recognize the symptoms and effects of cynicism in their institutions, they should convene a series of meetings to dig deep into the root causes of cynicism and formulate a unique strategy to eradicate every element contributing to cynicism. Managers are urged to decrease employees’ cynicism by improving the positive view of the organizational support they give by implementing various activities to boost morale. In this context, managers may show they care for their employees by listening to their concerns and acknowledging their contributions.

However, it is advisable to organize a sequence of workshops to provide workers with education regarding the detrimental effects of counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) on the organization and their professional trajectories. The outcomes of these workshops can be utilized by relevant authorities and policymakers to gain a deeper understanding of employee grievances and formulate strategies to foster equity in the workplace while mitigating CWBs.

The implementation of “smart” universities, representing the advent of the “fourth generation” of educational institutions, involves:

The allocation of adequate financial resources.

Formulation of long-term strategies.

Organization of competitions to attract individuals with creative and innovative capabilities from diverse domains (including faculty, staff, and students).

These individuals are then equipped with the necessary skills through training programs and duly recognized, both financially and otherwise, for their endeavors to commercialize their work outcomes.

9 Research limitations and suggestion for future research

Several constraints were encountered during the execution of the present study Our study was cross-sectional, not longitudinal, due to time and resource constraints. We therefore recommend that future researchers employ a longitudinal methodology design that better demonstrates the direction of effects.

The Higher Education sector was sampled for data. Results may vary if applied to a different business sector; future research should consider various business sectors, such as the industrial and communications sectors. this study focused solely on the effects of PCB and OC on CWBs in higher education in Egypt; other negative behaviors, such as job frustrations, absenteeism, and abusive supervisors, were briefly mentioned but warranted further investigation in future research. It is possible to use the locus of experiences of employees as a moderating variable alongside other variables to learn more about aberrant behavior on the job.

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Mamdouh Abd El Hafeez Abd El Hameed Sabra Associate Professor at Higher Institute of Electronic Commerce Systems in Sohag, Egypt and Prof. Dr. Elsayed Elhadery Ahmed Mahmoud Professor at Taif University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for their helpful comments, I’d like to express gratitude to Higher Institute of Electronic Commerce Systems in Sohag, Egypt, and also to the University of Science and Technology, Beijing, China for their assistance with this study, The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.

Author contributions

CONCEPTION: Mohamed Abdelkhalek Omar Ahmed

METHODOLOGY: Mohamed Abdelkhalek Omar Ahmed and Junguang Zhang

DATA COLLECTION: Mohamed Abdelkhalek Omar Ahmed

INTERPRETATION OR ANALYSIS OF DATA: Mohamed Abdelkhalek Omar Ahmed

PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT: Mohamed Abdelkhalek Omar Ahmed

REVISION FOR IMPORTANT INTELLECTUAL CONTENT: Junguang Zhang

SUPERVISION: Junguang Zhang

References

Rousseau

, Hansen

, Tomprou

. A dynamic phase model of psychological contract processes, J Organ Behav 2018;39:1081–98. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2284

Restubog

SLD

, Zagenczyk

, Bordia

, Chapman

. If You Wrong Us, Shall We Not Revenge? Moderating Roles of Self-Control and Perceived Aggressive Work Culture in Predicting Responses to Psychological Contract Breach, J Manage 2015;41:1132–54. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312443557

Ning

, Zhaoyi

. Psychological contract breach, organizational disidentification, and employees’ unethical behavior: Organizational ethical climate as moderator, Soc Behav Pers 2017;45:1409–24. https://doi.org/10.2224/sb6708

Griep

, Hansen

, Kraak

Perceived identity threat and organizational cynicism in the recursive relationship between psychological contract breach and counterproductive work behavior. Econ Ind Democr. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X211070326.

Griep

, Bankins

, Vander Elst

, De Witte

. How psychologicalcontract breach affects long-term mental and physical health: thelongitudinal role of effort–reward imbalance, Appl PsycholHeal Well-Being 2021;13:263–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12246

Riana

. The important role of ethical behavior in improving customer loyalty, Hum Syst Manag. 2021;40:379–94. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-190588

Abbas

, Rehman

, Aldereai

, Al-Sulaiti

, Shah

SAR

Tourism management in financial crisis and industry 4.0 effects: Managers traits for technology adoption in reshaping, and reinventing human management systems. Hum Syst Manag. 2023:1-18. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-230067.

Jahanzeb

, Bouckenooghe

, Baig

MUA

. Does attachment anxiety accentuate the effect of perceived contract breach on counterproductive work behaviors? J Appl Soc Psychol 2022;52:809–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/jas12879

Afshan

, Serrano-Archimi

, Lacroux

. Raising voice: Effect of psychological contract breach on employee voice through organizational cynicism, Hum Syst Manag. 2021;40:857–69. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-201108

10.

Abdelgalil

. The Role of Ethical Leadership on the Relationship between Organizational Cynicism and Alienation at Work: An Empirical Study, Arab J Adm. 2022;42:433–52. https://doi.org/10.21608/aja.2022.273285

11.

Rayan

ARM

, Aly

NAM

, Abdelgalel

Organizational Cynicism and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: An Empirical Study. Eur J Bus Manag WwwIisteOrg ISSN. 2018;10.

12.

Peyrat-Guillard

, Glińska-Neweś

, Lis

, Górka

, Szostek

Intersections of organizational citizenship behaviors and counterproductive work behaviors: Empirical evidence of moral licensing and cleansing theories. Hum Syst Manag. 2023:1-26. https://doi.org/10.3233/hsm-230020.

13.

Ciampa

, Sirowatka

, Schuh

, Fraccaroli

, van Dick

. Ambivalent Identification as a Moderator of the Link Between Organizational Identification and Counterproductive Work Behaviors, J Bus Ethics. 2021;169:119–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04262-0

14.

Dåderman

, Ingelgård

, Koopmans

. Cross-culturaladaptation, from Dutch to Swedish language, of the Individual WorkPerformance Questionnaire, Work. 2020;65:97–109. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-193062

15.

Cohen

, Diamant

. The role of justice perceptions in determining counterproductive work behaviors, Int J Hum Resour Manag 2017;30:2901–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1340321

16.

Cohen

, Özsoy

. Dark triad and situational variables and their relationship to career success andcounterproductive work behaviors among employees in Turkey, Int J Work Heal Manag. 2021;14:506–25. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-02-2020-0019

17.

Holtz

, Harold

. Effects of leadership consideration and structure on employee perceptions of justice andcounterproductive work behavior, J Organ Behav. 2012;34:492–519. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1825

18.

Ahmed

, Islam

, Ahmad

, Kaleem

. A COVID-19 contextual study of customers’ mistreatment and counterproductive work behavior at coffee cafes, Br Food J 2021;123:3404–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2020-0664

19.

Spector

, Fox

The Stressor-Emotion Model of Counterproductive Work Behavior. Counterproductive Work Behav. Investig. actors targets., Washington: American Psychological Association;. 2005, p. 151-74. https://doi.org/10.1037/10893-007.

20.

Bennett

, Robinson

The past, present, and future of workplace deviance research. 2003.

21.

Bowling

, Burns

. Sex as a Moderator of the Relationships Between Predictor Variables and Counterproductive Work Behavior, J Bus Psychol. 2014;30:193–205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-013-9342-5

22.

Bainus

, Sinaga

, Haizam

, Saudi

, Afghan

PEP

, Arry

et al. Impact of distributive and procedural justice on turnover intentionand counterproductive work behavior: Mediating role oforganizational cynicism, J Fundam Appl Sci 2018;10:1651–78. https://doi.org/10.4314/jfas.v10i6s.134

23.

Chiaburu

, Peng

, Oh

I-S

, Banks

, Lomeli

. Antecedents and consequences of employee organizational cynicism: A meta-analysis, J Vocat Behav. 2013;83:181–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2013.03.007

24.

Tian

, Zhang

, Zou

. Job insecurity and counterproductive behavior of casino dealers - the mediating role of affective commitment and moderating role of supervisor support, Int J Hosp Manag. 2014;40:29–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2014.03.005

25.

, Chen

. The relationship between psychological contract breach and employees’ counterproductive work behaviors: The mediating effect of organizational cynicism and work alienation, Front Psychol 2018;9:1273. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01273

26.

Meng

, Yan

, Abbas

, Shankar

, Subramanian

. Human-Computer Interaction and Digital Literacy Promote Educational Learning in Pre-school Children: Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience for Kids’ Mental Well-Being and School Readiness, Int J Hum Comput Interact. 2023;0:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2248432

27.

Kholaif

MMNHK

, Ming

, Moosa

, David

. The ISO, 0’s labor environmental issues during COVID-19 does corporate social responsibility help? Evidence from the Egyptian small and medium enterprises. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 1711;29:7–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17024-1

28.

Paliwal

, Raj

, Kumar

, Singh

, Sharma

, Suri

et al. Informal workers in India as an economic shock absorber in the eraof COVID-19 A study on policies and practices, Hum Syst Manag. 2023;19:1–20. https://doi.org/10.3233/hsm-220155

29.

Sobaih

AEE

, Hasanein

, Elshaer

Higher Education in and after COVID-19: The Impact of Using Social Network Applications for E-Learning on Students’ Academic Performance. Sustain. 2022;14. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095195

30.

Liu

, Qu

, Wang

, Abbas

, Mubeen

. Product Market Competition and Firm Performance: Business Survival Through Innovation and Entrepreneurial Orientation Amid COVID-19 Financial Crisis, Front Psychol. 2022;12:1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.790923

31.

, Abbas

, Ullah

, Abbas

, Sadiq

, Zhang

Women’s Entrepreneurial Contribution to Family Income: Innovative Technologies Promote Females’ Entrepreneurship Amid COVID-19 Crisis. Front Psychol. 2022;13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.828040.

32.

Abbas

, Al-Sulaiti

, Lorente

, Shah

SAR

, Shahzad

Reset the Industry Redux through Corporate Social Responsibility. Econ. Growth Environ. Qual. a Post-Pandemic World, London: Routledge;. 2023, p. 177-201. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003336563-9.

33.

Wang

, Abbas

, Al-Sulati

, Shah

SAR

. The Impact of Economic Corridor and Tourism on Local Community’s Quality of Life under One Belt One Road Context, Eval Rev. 2023;0:1–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X231182749

34.

Singh

“My contract is breached, and I want to leave, but I am embedded!” how do reluctant stayers respond? Evidence-Based HRM. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-03-2022-0073.

35.

Clinton

, Guest

. Psychological contract breach and voluntary turnover: Testing a multiple mediation model, J Occup Organ Psychol. 2014;87:200–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/joo12033

36.

Gulzar

, Hussain

, Akhlaq

, Abbas

, Ghauri

Exploring the psychological contract breach of nurses in healthcare: an exploratory study. Asia-Pacific J Bus Adm. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-03-2021-0102.

37.

Achnak

, Vantilborgh

. Do individuals combine different coping strategies to manage their stress in the aftermath of psychological contract breach over time? A longitudinal study, J Vocat Behav 2021;131:103651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103651

38.

Suazo

. The mediating role of psychological contract violation onthe relations between psychological contract breach and work-relatedattitudes and behaviors, J Manag Psychol. 2009;24:136–60. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940910928856

39.

Tsachouridi

, Nikandrou

Am I in an obstructive employer-employee relationship? The role of breach in employee reactions during tough times. Manag Res Rev. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-08-2021-0590.

40.

Evans

, Goodman

, Davis

. The Impact of Perceived Corporate Citizenship on Organizational Cynicism, OCB,and Employee Deviance, Hum Perform. 2010;24:79–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.2010.530632

41.

Johnson

, O’Leary-Kelly

. The effects of psychological contract breach and organizational cynicism: not all social exchange violations are created equal, J Organ Behav. 2003;24:627–47. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.207

42.

Judge

, Scott

, Ilies

. Hostility, job attitudes, and workplace deviance: Test of a multilevel model, J Appl Psychol. 2006;91:126–38. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.1.126

43.

Naseer

, Raja

, Syed

, Baig

MUA

. When and why organizational cynicism leads to CWBs, Pers Rev. 2021;50:90–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2019-0480

44.

Özdemir

, Demircioglu

. The Relationship BetweenCounterproductive Work Behaviours And Psychological Contracts In Public High Schools, Cukurova Univ Fac Educ J 2015;44:41. https://doi.org/10.14812/cufej.2015.003

45.

Morrison

, Robinson

. When employees feel betrayed: A model of how psychological contract violation develops, Acad Manag Rev. 1997;22:226–56. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1997.9707180265

46.

Blau

. Power and exchange in social life 1964.

47.

Morganson

. Applying Psychological Contract Theory to Link Customer Sexual Harassment to Work and Health-Related Outcomes, Occup Heal Sci. 2022;6:565–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-022-00119-7

48.

Knights

, Kennedy

. Psychological contract violation: Impacts on job satisfaction and organizational commitment among Australian senior public servants, Appl HRM Res 2005;10:57–72.

49.

Chao

JMC

, Cheung

FYL

, Wu

AMS

. Psychological contract breach and counterproductive workplace behaviors: Testing moderating effect of attribution style and power distance, Int J Hum Resour Manag 2011;22:763–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2011.555122

50.

Coyle-Shapiro

JA-M

, Pereira Costa

, Doden

, Chang

. Psychological Contracts: Past, Present, and Future, Annu Rev Organ Psychol Organ Behav. 2019;6:145–69. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012218-015212

51.

Lin

, Wu

C-H

, Dong

, Chen

GZX

, Wei

, Duan

. Psychological contract breach and destructive voice: The mediating effect of relative deprivation and the moderating effect of leader emotional support, J Vocat Behav 2022;135:103720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103720

52.

Al Halbusi

, Al-Sulaiti

, Abbas

, Al-Sulaiti

Assessing Factors Influencing Technology Adoption for Online Purchasing Amid COVID-19 in Qatar: Moderating Role of Word of Mouth. Front Environ Sci. 2022;10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.942527.

53.

, Wang

, Abbas

, Hassan

, Mubeen

Health Risk Threats Amid COVID-19 Era: Role of Technology Innovation, Transformation, and Recovery Implications for Sustainable Tourism. Front Psychol. 2022;12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.769175.

54.

Gong

, Sims

. Psychological contract breach during the pandemic: How an abrupt transition to a work from home schedule impacted the employment relationship, J Bus Res 2023;154:113259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.08.023

55.

Shah

SAR

, Zhang

, Abbas

, Tang

, Al-Sulaiti

. Waste management, quality of life and natural resources utilization matter for renewable electricity generation: The main and moderate role of environmental policy, Util Policy 2023;82:101584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ju2023.101584

56.

Micah

, Bhangdia

, Cogswell

, Lasher

, Lidral-Porter

, Maddison

et al. Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19 development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and. 2026, Lancet Glob Heal 2023;11:e385–413. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00007-4

57.

, Al-Sulaiti

, Dongling

, Abbas

, Al-Sulaiti

. Tax Avoidance Culture and Employees’ Behavior Affect Sustainable Business Performance: The Moderating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility, Front Environ Sci. 2022;10:1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.964410

58.

Zhang

, Husnain

, Yang

, Ullah

, Abbas

, Zhang

. Corporate Business Strategy and Tax Avoidance Culture: Moderating Role of Gender Diversity in an Emerging Economy, Front Psychol. 2022;13:1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.827553

59.

Vuong

, Hieu

The effect of empowering leadership on job performance among frontline employees: does power distance orientation matter? J Organ Eff People Perform. 2023.

60.

Safonov

, Hall

, Prayag

. Non-collaborative behaviour of accommodation businesses in the associational tourism economy, J Hosp Tour Manag 2023;54:98–107.

61.

Dean

Jr , Brandes

, Dharwadkar

. Organizational cynicism, Acad Manag Rev 1998;23:341–52.

62.

Hussain

, Shahzad

. Unpacking perceived organizational justice-organizational cynicism relationship: Moderating role of psychological capital, Asia Pacific Manag Rev. 2022;27:10–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmrv.2021.03.005

63.

Elsaied

. Exploitative leadership and organizational cynicism: the mediating role of emotional exhaustion, Leadersh Organ Dev J. 2022;43:25–38. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-02-2021-0069

64.

Naus

, van Iterson

, Roe

. Organizational cynicism: Extending the exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect model of employees’ responses to adverse conditions in the workplace, Hum Relations. 2007;60:683–718. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726707079198

65.

Singh

, Randhawa

. Good soldier syndrome Do organizational cynicism and work alienation matter? Evidence-Based HRM. 2022;10:189–205. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-01-2021-0004

66.

Durrah

, Chaudhary

, Gharib

. Organizational Cynicism and Its Impact on Organizational Pride in IndustrialOrganizations, Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019;16:1203. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16071203

67.

Bordia

, Restubog

SLD

, Bordia

, Tang

. Breach Begets Breach: Trickle-Down Effects of Psychological Contract Breach on Customer Service, J Manage. 2010;36:1578–607. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310378366

68.

Deng

, Coyle-Shapiro

, Yang

. Beyond reciprocity: A conservation of resources view on the effects of psychological contract violation on third parties, J Appl Psychol. 2018;103:561–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000272

69.

Bashir

, Nasir

. Breach of psychological contract, organizational cynicism and union commitment: A study of hospitality industry in Pakistan, Int J Hosp Manag. 2013;34:61–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.02.004

70.

Sheikh

, Khaliq Alvi

, Ur Rehman

. The relationship of organizational cynicism with the job satisfaction: the mediating role of psychological contract breach, Gomal Univ J Res. 2020;36:1–13. https://doi.org/10.51380/gujr-36-02-01

71.

Khokhar

, Zia-ur-Rehman

. Linking ethical leadership to employees’ performance: Mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior and counterproductive work behavior, Pakistan J Commer Soc Sci 2017;11:222–51.

72.

Mehmood

, Malik

, Nadarajah

, Saood Akhtar

A moderated mediation model of counterproductive work behaviour, organisational justice, organisational embeddedness and psychological ownership. Pers Rev. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-05-2021-0330.

73.

Siegel

, König

, Lazar

. The impact of electronic monitoring on employees’ job satisfaction, stress, performance, and counterproductive work behavior: A meta-analysis, Comput Hum Behav Reports 2022;8:100227.

74.

Spector

, Fox

, Penney

, Bruursema

, Goh

, Kessler

. The dimensionality of counterproductivity: Are all counterproductive behaviors created equal? J Vocat Behav 2006;68:446–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.10.005

75.

Koopman

, Conway

, Dimotakis

, Tepper

, Lee

, Rogelberg

et al. Does CWB repair negative affective states, or generate them? Examining the moderating role of trait empathy, J Appl Psychol 2021;106:1493–516. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000837

76.

Gürlek

. Workplace ostracism, Syrian migrant workers’ counterproductive work behaviors, and acculturation: Evidence from Turkey, J Hosp Tour Manag. 2021;46:336–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.01.012

77.

Zhang

, Deng

. Guanxi with Supervisor and Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction, J Bus Ethics. 2016;134:413–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2438-7

78.

, Huang

. Effects of equity, perceived organizational support and job satisfaction on organizational commitment in Macao’s gaming industry, Manag Decis 2022;60:2433–54. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2021-1447

79.

Johnson

MM; RI; E

. Relationship of personality traits and counterproductive work behaviors: The mediating effects of job satisfaction, Pers Psychol. 2006;59:591–622. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2006.00048.x

80.

Fine

, Horowitz

, Weigler

, Basis

. Is good character good enough? The effects of situational variables on the relationship between integrity and counterproductive work behaviors, Hum Resour Manag Rev. 2010;20:73–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2009.03.010

81.

Kanten

, Ulker

. The effect of organizational climate on counterproductive behaviors: An empirical study on the employees of manufacturing enterprises, Macrotheme Rev 2013;2:144–60.

82.

Jensen

, Opland

, Ryan

. Psychological Contracts and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Employee Responses to Transactional and Relational Breach, J Bus Psychol. 2010;25:555–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9148-7

83.

Chrobot-Mason

. Keeping the promise, J Manag Psychol. 2003;18:22–45. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940310459574

84.

Griep

, Vantilborgh

. Reciprocal effects of psychological contract breach on counterproductive and organizational citizenship behaviors: The role of time, J Vocat Behav 2018;104:141–53.

85.

Bari

, Qurrah-tul-ain , Abrar

, Fanchen

. Employees’ responses to psychological contract breach: The mediating role of organizational cynicism, Econ Ind Democr. 2022;43:810–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X20958478

86.

, Abbas

, Dongling

, Baig

NUA

, Zhang

From Cultural Tourism to Social Entrepreneurship: Role of Social Value Creation for Environmental Sustainability. Front Psychol. 2022;13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.925768.

87.

Yao

, Ziapour

, Abbas

, Toraji

, NeJhaddadgar

. Assessing puberty-related health needs among 10-15-year-old boys: A cross-sectional study approach, Arch Pediatr. 2022;29:307–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcped.2021.11.018

88.

Kickul

, Neuman

, Parker

, Finkl

. Settling the score: The role of organizational justice in the relationship between psychological contract breach and anticitizenship behavior, Empl Responsib Rights J. 2001;13:77–93. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014586225406

89.

Brandes

, Dharwadkar

, Dean

Does organizational cynicism matter? Employee and supervisor perspectives on work outcomes. East. Acad. Manag. Proc., vol. 2, Philadelphia, PA;. 1999, p. 150-3.

90.

Kelloway

, Loughlin

, Barling

, Nault

. Self-reportedcounterproductive behaviors and organizational citizenshipbehaviors: Separate but related constructs, Int J Sel Assess 2002;10:143–51.

91.

Hair

, Black

, Babin

, Anderson

Canonical correlation: A supplement to multivariate data analysis. Multivar Data Anal A Glob Perspect 7th Ed; Pearson Prentice Hall Publ Up Saddle River, NJ, USA. 2010:1-43.

92.

Bonett

, Wright

. Cronbach’s alpha reliability: Interval estimation, hypothesis testing, and sample size planning, J Organ Behav. 2015;36:3–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1960

93.

Hamdy

, Zhang

, Eid

A new proposed model for tourists’ destination image formation: the moderate effect of tourists’ experiences. Kybernetes. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-11-2022-1525.

94.

Griep

, Vantilborgh

. Let’s get cynical about this! Recursiverelationships between psychological contract breach and counter productive work behaviour, J Occup Organ Psychol. 2018;91:421–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/joo12201

95.

Jiang

, Chen

, Sun

, Yang

The relationship between authoritarian leadership and employees’ deviant workplace behaviors: The mediating effects of psychological contract violation and organizational cynicism. Front Psychol. 2017;8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00732.

96.

Kim , Yesung-Goo Shin

. The Effect of Authentic Leadership and Psychological Contract Breach on Organizational Cynicism: Focusing on the Moderated Mediation of Followers’ Identification with the Leader 1, 2017;18:1–29. https://doi.org/10.15813/kmr.2017.18.4.001

97.

Griep

, Vantilborgh

, Baillien

, Pepermans

. The mitigating roleof leader-member exchange when perceiving psychological contractviolation: a diary survey study among volunteers, Eur J Work OrganPsychol. 2016;25:254–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2015.1046048

98.

Griep

, Vantilborgh

. Reciprocal effects of psychological contract breach on counterproductive and organizational citizenship behaviors: The role of time, J Vocat Behav. 2018;104:141–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.10.013

99.

Griep

, Vantilborgh

, Jones

. The relationship between psychological contract breach and counterproductive work behavior in social enterprises: Do paid employees and volunteers differ? Econ Ind Democr 2018;41:1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X17744029

100.

, Liu

, Lassleben

, Ma

. The relationships between job insecurity, psychological contract breach and counterproductive workplace behavior: Does employment status matter? Pers Rev 2019;48:595–610. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-04-2018-0138

101.

Nadim

, Fatima

, Aroos

, Haroon Hafeez

Breach of Psychological Contract and Job Involvement: Does Organizational Cynicism Mediates the Relationship?. 2019.

102.

Kraak

, Griep

, Lunardo

, Altman

The effects of host country language proficiency on the relationship between psychological contract breach, violation, and work behaviors: A moderated mediation model. Eur Manag J. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2023.04.001.

103.

, Liu

, Lassleben

, Ma

. The relationships between job insecurity, psychological contract breach and counterproductive workplace behavior, Pers Rev. 2019;48:595–610. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-04-2018-0138

104.

Astrove

, Yang

, Kraimer

, Wayne

. Psychological Contract Breach and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model, Acad Manag Proc. 4 2015;2015:11094. https://doi.org/10.5465/amb2015.11094abstract

105.

El Said

. How Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Higher Education Learning Experience? An Empirical Investigation of Learners’ Academic Performance at a University in a Developing Country, Adv Human-Computer Interact 2021;2021:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6649524

106.

Iorember

, Iormom

, Jato

, Abbas

. Understanding the bearable link between ecology and health outcomes: the criticality of human capital development and energy use, Heliyon 2022;8:e12611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12611

107.

Karani Mehta

, Purohit

, Trivedi

, Panda

Outcomes of psychological contract breach for banking employees during COVID-19 pandemic: moderating role of learned helplessness. Int J Sociol Soc Policy. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-11-2022-0288.

108.

Chaudhary

, Islam

How workplace bullying affects knowledge hiding? The roles of psychological contract breach and learning goal orientation. VINE J Inf Knowl Manag Syst. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-06-2022-0201.

109.

Culiberg

, Abosag

, Cater

. Psychological contract breach andopportunism in the sharing economy: Examining the platform-provider relationship, Ind Mark Manag 2023;111:189–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2023.04.007

110.

Kraak

, Griep

, Altman

Self-initiated expatriates in menial jobs: Destructive psychological contracts in the hospitality sector. Econ Ind Democr. 2023:0143831X2311613. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X231161388.

111.

Liu

, Liu

, Muskat

, Leung

, Liu

Employees’ self-esteem in psychological contract: workplace ostracism and counterproductive behavior. Tour Rev. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-11-2022-0535.

112.

Di Fabio

, Duradoni

. Fighting incivility in the workplace for women and for all workers: The challenge of primary prevention, Front Psychol. 2019;10:1–6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01805

113.

Gervasi

, Faldetta

, Zollo

. How to prevent incivility from women employees? The role of psychological contract violation, aggressive reciprocal attitude and conscientiousness, Int J Manpow. 2023;44:599–617. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-06-2021-0340

114.

Zhuang

, Abbas

, Al-Sulaiti

, Fahlevi

, Aljuaid

, Saniuk

Land-use and food security in energy transition: Role of food supply. Front Sustain Food Syst. 2022;6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.1053031.

115.

, Abbas

, Draghici

, Negulescu

, Ain

. Social Media Application as a New Paradigm for Business Communication: The Role of COVID-19 Knowledge, Social Distancing, and Preventive Attitudes, Front Psychol. 2022;13:1–17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903082

Investigating the effect of psychological contract breach on counterproductive work behavior: The mediating role of organizational cynicism

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

OBJECTIVE:

METHODS:

RESULTS:

CONCLUSIONS:

Keywords

1 Introduction

2 Literature review and hypotheses

2.1 PC and PCB

2.2 PCB and OC

2.3 PCB and CWBs

2.4 The mediating role of OC between PCB and CWBs

3.1 To study the following research objectives

3.2 Samples and procedures

3.3 Data collection

3.5 Statistical methods of study

3.6 Analysis strategy

Table 2 Reliability and validity Construct AVE Cronbach’s alpha CR PCB OC CWB_O CWB_I PCB 0.705 0.982 0.982 0.840 OC 0.758 0.979 0.978 0.505** 0.872 CWB_O 0.766 0.940 0.942 0.606** 0.736** 0.875 CWB_I 0.835 0.961 0.962 0.620** 0.734** 0.855** 0.914

4.1 Direct effects

5 Discussion

6 Theoretical implications

7 Practical implications

8 Conclusions

9 Research limitations and suggestion for future research

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Author contributions

References

Table 2
Reliability and validity

Construct AVE Cronbach’s alpha CR PCB OC CWB_O CWB_I

PCB 0.705 0.982 0.982 0.840

OC 0.758 0.979 0.978 0.505 0.872

CWB_O 0.766 0.940 0.942 0.606 0.736 0.875

CWB_I 0.835 0.961 0.962 0.620 0.734 0.855 0.914