Moderating role of work engagement in the relationships of workplace spirituality, personality-based integrity, and job satisfaction with workplace deviant behavior among public servants in Sabah, Malaysia

• Main Author: Farah Mardiana Radzali
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: HF5549-5549.5 Personnel management. Employment management
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/41320/1/24%20PAGES.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/41320/2/FULLTEXT.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/41320/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Workplace deviant behavior exists when employees violate the organization’s norms that intend to harm organizations and/or their members. Workplace deviant behavior is a serious issue that can jeopardize organizational goals if it is not encountered. The objectives of this study were 1) to identify which independent variables (workplace spirituality, personality-based integrity, and job satisfaction) are most important in predicting workplace deviant behavior; 2) to examine the moderating effect of work engagement on the relationship between workplace spirituality and workplace deviant behavior; 3) to examine the moderating effect of work engagement on the relationship between personality-based integrity and workplace deviant behavior; and 4) to examine the moderating effect of work engagement on the relationship between job satisfaction and workplace deviant behavior. The total participants in this study is 353 comprises of Malaysian public servants in Sabah through simple random and cluster sampling procedures using self-administered questionnaires via the drop and collect method. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The results show that there were significant relationships between job satisfaction, personality-based integrity, and workplace spirituality with workplace deviant behavior. Further work engagement plays a moderating role in the relationship between workplace spirituality with workplace deviant behavior and job stress with workplace deviant behavior. However, work engagement does not moderate the relationships between personality-based integrity and workplace deviant behavior. The study also serves as evidence that job stress, personality-based integrity and workplace spirituality are related to workplace deviant behavior. Given this, employers may need to focus on work engagement as the mechanism to reduce workplace deviant behavior among employees by acting as a coping mechanism through strengthening their inner self. Work engagement plays its role to develop togetherness at the workplace in terms of the psychological aspect.