Impact of Job Insecurity and Moral Disengagement on Counterproductive Work Behavior

Abstract

Literature has comprehensively focused on the antecedents of counterproductive
work behaviour, but the effect of situational factors leading towards
counterproductive work behaviour still needs more research. The current
research examines the influence of job insecurity on counterproductive work
behaviour, with the mediating role of moral disengagement. This moral
disengagement is a set of cognitive mechanisms - explained by social cognitive
theory as a key to deactivate self-regulatory processes - which provides
individuals a justification to involve in behaviour that is inconsistent with moral
standards without associated self-sanctions and guilt. Quantitative data has been
collected through survey method from courier industry of Pakistan, which
provides diverse organizational settings to analyse. Structural Equation
Modelling technique is used for instrument testing and model analysis.
Mediation of the moral disengagement is substantiated by the results. Moreover,
there is a stronger effect of moral disengagement on counterproductive work
behaviour organizational than the counterproductive work behaviour individual.