Dark Triad, Counterproductive Work Behaviors, Workplace Incivility, and the Role of Islamic Work Values: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

The organization’s ethical climate increases productivity at the individual the organizational level; further, it reduces the harmful characteristics and negative intensity of individuals’ inflated self-esteem. Integration of the theory of threatened egotism and ethical climate theory, this study’s objective was to examine the mediating mechanism of workplace incivility between dark triad (Narcissism, Psychopathy and Machiavellianism) and counterproductive work behaviors with the sample from public sector (judiciary) institution. Additionally, in the present study, we also test the moderating effect of Islamic work values between the mediating relationship of workplace incivility and counterproductive work behaviors. Close-ended questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample size of 268 participants (permanent employees of the judiciary) of a public sector organization who voluntarily participate in the process of data collection for this study. To test the study’s proposed hypothesis, different statistical techniques, i.e., correlation, regression were applied to test the direct effects, and Hayes PROCESS-macro method was applied to test indirect effects (mediation), moderation, and moderated mediation. Findings of the study indicate that workplace incivility mediates the association of dark triad and counterproductive work behaviors. Furthermore, findings reveal that Islamic work values moderate the mediated relationship between workplace incivility and counterproductive work behaviors. We also tested the moderated mediation model, and findings indicate that Islamic work values weaken the positive intensity of dark triad and counterproductive work behaviors in the presence of workplace incivility. This study’s findings further declare that a higher level of Islamic work values weaken the intensity of negative personality on counterproductive work behaviors and decrease the uncivil behaviors of individuals at the workplace. Policymakers and higher management of public sector institutions especially focus on the psychological health and organizational climate to reduce the workplace’s harmful behaviors. Finally, this study theoretically enhances knowledge of personality psychology literature by explaining the negative consequences of negative personalities at the workplace. Overall, this study contributed to the theory of threatened egotism and ethical climate theory by integrating dark triad, workplace incivility, counterproductive work behaviors, and Islamic work values collaborations with exciting outcomes, specifically with the background of public sector institution of Asian developing country. Keywords: Dark Triad; Workplace Incivility; Islamic Work Values; Counterproductive Work Behaviors; Theory of Threatened Egotism; Ethical Climate Theory.