Envy and Counterproductive Work Behavior: The Moderation Role of Leadership in Public and Private Organizations.

Pilar González-Navarro,Rosario Zurriaga-Llorens,Lucía Llinares-Insa,Adekunle Tosin Olateju

doi:10.3390/ijerph15071455

Abstract

Envy is a frequent emotion in work contexts where there is strong competition for resources and the leader is the person who manages them. When employees feel envy, they are likely to use counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), but the use of these behaviors may differ depending on the organization’s ownership. The goal of this study is to develop and test a model for the moderating role of Leader Member Exchange (LMX) in the relationship between envy and CWB in public and private organizations. The study design was cross-sectional. Data were collected from 225 Spanish employees in public and private organizations and analyzed using Path Analysis techniques. Results showed that envy was positively related to CWB, and that LMX was a significant moderator in the relationship between envy and CWB in public organizations, but not in private ones. However, this relationship is positive with high LMX, but less than in subjects with low LMX. Findings provide empirical support for the hypothesized conceptual model. This study is one of the first to explore LMX as a moderator of the relationship between envy and CWB. Thus, this study adds value to previous social exchange studies on LMX by integrating emotion research into the context of an exchange-based relationship. Our findings lead to several practical implications for creating healthy organizations.

Highlights

In today’s organizations, excellence is achieved through financial success, and through physically and psychologically healthy human resources [1]
The relationship between envy and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) is widely accepted in the literature, we propose that a high-quality relationship with the leader can lead to a reduction in counterproductive behavior, even if envy continues to exist
We explore the relationships among envy, Leader Member Exchange (LMX), and CWB in the public and private sectors, a topic that has not been previously explored, to the best of our knowledge

Summary

Introduction

In today’s organizations, excellence is achieved through financial success, and through physically and psychologically healthy human resources [1]. Changes in the context are an inherent part of organizational dynamics In this scenario, greater demands are placed on workers to adapt to new situations, and there is an increase in uncertainty [2]. Greater demands are placed on workers to adapt to new situations, and there is an increase in uncertainty [2] These adaptation efforts have adverse effects on workers’ health, attitudes, and quality of working life [3]. In this regard, workplace health promotion is the best strategy to manage threatening and accelerating changes in the job context. Scarcity and competition for resources produce high levels of envy. Envy is a universal emotion that damages relationships because it can result in spiteful behavior [4]

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