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Emotional Intelligence and Counterproductive Work Behavior of Employees Working in Public Sector Organizations: Mediating Role of Organizational Justice

Introduction

Emotional intelligence and counterproductive work behavior of employees working in public sector organizations: mediating role of organizational justice. Explore emotional intelligence, organizational justice, and counterproductive work behavior in Pakistan's public sector. Discover how EI and fair practices reduce CWB among employees.

Abstract

This study focused on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), perceived organizational justice (OJ), and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), and of public sector employees. The study adopted cross-sectional survey design, to select the sample of 250 employees from the public sector organizations of Pakistan. Both male employees (n = 128) and female employees (n = 121) were included. The respondents filled the indigenous version Urdu translated of the Emotional Intelligence (SRMEI), the Organizational Justice Scale, and the Counterproductive Work Behavior Scale. The reliability analysis revealed that all the scales and subscales are reliable and valid measures. The correlation analysis showed that EI positively correlates with organizational justice and negatively correlates with CWB. Moreover, mediation results demonstrated a significant negative role of organizational justice in mediating the association between EI and CWB. The results of mediation suggested that higher emotional intelligence resulted higher perception of organizational justice, which is related to the lesser counterproductive work behavior of public sector employees. Additionally, emotional self-awareness and emotional self-regulation as subcomponents of EI emerged better mediators for counterproductive work behaviors as compared to interpersonal skills. The findings help to support the significance of building emotional intelligence skills and fairness in HR-related policies and practices to decrease the occurrence of deviant/counter productive work behavior of employees in the public sector organizations. The research has provided empirical support for the indigenous contextual evidence in understanding better emotional self-awareness and self-regulation of employees at workplace, facilitating for their perception of fairness in the organization to minimize counter productive work behavior. Overall, this study offers novel evidence for understanding the relation of emotional intelligence as individual differences with counterproductive work behavior as individual outcomes through the perceptual experience of process (perception of organizational justice) from employee’s perspective.

Review

This study provides a valuable examination of the intricate relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), perceived organizational justice (OJ), and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) within the public sector of Pakistan. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 250 employees, the research offers compelling empirical evidence for organizational justice’s significant mediating role in the association between EI and CWB. A notable strength lies in the study's application of indigenous, Urdu-translated scales, enhancing its relevance and validity within the specific cultural and organizational context. The findings robustly demonstrate that higher emotional intelligence fosters a stronger perception of organizational justice, which, in turn, is associated with a reduction in counterproductive work behaviors, with emotional self-awareness and self-regulation emerging as particularly strong mediators. While the study offers significant insights, certain methodological considerations warrant attention. The cross-sectional design inherently limits the ability to establish definitive causal relationships, even with robust mediation analysis. Although the proposed theoretical model is logical, longitudinal studies would provide more conclusive evidence regarding the temporal sequence of these variables. Furthermore, the reliance on self-report measures for all constructs introduces the potential for common method bias, which could inflate or deflate the observed relationships. While the sample size is adequate for initial exploration, extending the research to larger and more diverse samples within the public sector, or even across different cultural contexts, could further enhance the generalizability of these important findings. Despite these limitations, the research offers substantial practical and theoretical contributions. Practically, it strongly advocates for public sector organizations to strategically invest in developing employees' emotional intelligence skills and to rigorously ensure fairness in all HR-related policies and practices. Such an integrated approach is presented as crucial for cultivating a just work environment and effectively mitigating undesirable workplace behaviors. Theoretically, the study provides novel evidence for the mediating mechanism of organizational justice in the EI-CWB link, particularly distinguishing the potency of emotional self-awareness and self-regulation as key drivers. Future research could productively build upon this foundation by employing longitudinal methodologies, incorporating multi-source data to mitigate self-report biases, and exploring the generalizability of these relationships across different organizational settings and national cultures. Overall, this study presents a meaningful contribution to the literature on organizational behavior, offering actionable insights for fostering a more ethical and productive public sector workforce.

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