بررسی تاثیر رهبری سوءاستفاده‌گر و نقض قرارداد روانشناختی بر بدبینی کارکنان با میانجی‌گری شایعه‌پراکنی در محل کار

پژوهش حاضر به منظور بررسی تاثیر رهبری سوءاستفاده‌گر، نقض قرارداد روان‌شناختی، و شایعه‌پراکنی برروی بدبینی کارکنان دانشگاه‌های دولتی انجام شد. در این راستا، نقش میانجی‌گری شایعه‌پراکنی برای اثرگذاری متغیرهای مستقل بر متغیر وابسته نیز بررسی شده است. جامعۀ آماری این پژوهش کارکنان دانشگاه دولتی هرات به تعداد 248 نفر بود. به منظور دست‌یابی به اهداف پژوهش، داده‌های لازم با استفاده از ابزار پرسشنامه از 148 نفر از این کارکنان به روش نمونه‌گیری تصادفی جمع‌آوری شد. داده‌های جمع‌آوری‌شده با استفاده از تکنیک مدل‌سازی معادلات ساختاری در نرم‌افزار آموس تجزیه‌وتحلیل شد. نتایج پژوهش نشان داد مدل ارائه‌شده برازندگی خوبی با داده‌ها دارد و تایید می‌شود. آزمون فرضیه ­های پژوهش نیز نشان داد هر دو متغیر رهبری سوءاستفاده‌گر و نقض قرارداد روان‌شناختی به‌ طور مستقیم بر بدبینی کارکنان اثرگذار هستند. به علاوه، نتایج پژوهش نقش میانجی‌گری شایعه‌پراکنی در محل کار برای هر دو متغیر مستقل را نیز تایید کرده است. بنابراین، در کل نتایج نشان‌دهندۀ اثرات مستقیم و غیرمستقیم رهبری سوءاستفاده‌گر و نقض قرارداد روان‌شناختی بر بدبینی کارکنان و نیز نقش میانجی‌گری جزئی شایعه‌پراکنی در رابطۀ بین این متغیرها بود.

investigating the effect of abusive supervision and psychological contract violation on employees’ cynicism by mediation of workplace gossip

purpose: the purpose of this research is to comprehensively explore the factors that contribute to workplace cynicism among employees in public universities, specifically focusing on the role of abusive supervision, psychological contract violation, and gossip. workplace cynicism, which has been increasingly recognized as a significant organizational challenge, can undermine employee morale, performance, and overall organizational effectiveness. this study aims to not only examine how abusive supervision and violations of psychological contracts directly influence cynicism but also to understand the indirect effects of gossip as a potential mediator in this relationship. by investigating these interconnected factors, the research seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the dynamics that foster cynicism in the workplace. furthermore, it aims to shed light on the complex interactions between leadership behavior, employee perceptions, and informal communication within organizational settings. ultimately, the study aspires to offer practical insights that can help organizations manage and mitigate the factors contributing to workplace cynicism, thereby improving the work environment.design/methodology/approach: the current study is an applied and descriptive-survey research aimed at providing solutions to reduce employee cynicism in a real organizational environment. the target population consists of 248 administrative staff members at herat university in afghanistan. using morgan’s table, the sample size was determined to be 147, with a simple random sampling method employed. data were collected through questionnaires adapted from foreign studies, which were translated and validated for content and face validity. the construct validity was subsequently confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis. the variables were measured using reliable questionnaires: abusive leadership (7 items by tepper), psychological contract violation (7 items by robinson and morrison), employee cynicism (5 items by koou), and workplace gossip (10 items by koou et al.). the reliability of the questionnaires was assessed using cronbach’s alpha, which confirmed their validity and consistency.findings: the findings from the study suggest that the research model, including both direct and indirect effects, is statistically significant and well-fitted. the confirmatory factor analysis (cfa) results confirmed the structural validity of the questionnaire, with all factor loadings being significant and above the acceptable threshold of 0.50. the convergent validity, measured by the average variance extracted (ave), was also verified, with all constructs exceeding the 0.50 threshold, indicating satisfactory convergence. additionally, the skewness and kurtosis values for all items were within the acceptable range, confirming the normality of the data distribution. correlation analysis using pearson’s correlation coefficient demonstrated significant relationships among variables, with the highest correlation between abusive leadership and employee cynicism (0.65). structural equation modeling revealed that abusive leadership and psychological contract violations both have a direct positive impact on employee cynicism. furthermore, workplace gossip was found to mediate the relationship between abusive leadership, psychological contract violations, and employee cynicism. all hypotheses were supported, confirming that both abusive leadership and psychological contract violations significantly influence employee cynicism directly and indirectly through workplace gossip. the model’s goodness-of-fit indices, such as cmin/df, gfi, and cfi, were all within acceptable limits, further supporting the model’s validity for hypothesis testing. overall, the study highlights the importance of leadership behavior and psychological contract breaches in shaping workplace dynamics, particularly regarding employee attitudes.discussion and conclusion: this study highlights the significant impact of abusive leadership and psychological contract violations on employee cynicism, revealing that abusive leadership has a stronger direct effect compared to contract violations. the findings suggest that workplace gossip plays a key mediating role, intensifying the negative effects of both abusive leadership and contract violations. this research emphasizes the need for organizations, particularly in academic settings, to foster positive leadership behaviors and uphold psychological contract integrity to reduce cynicism and enhance organizational commitment. the results underscore the importance of leadership in shaping workplace attitudes and demonstrate that addressing leadership behavior and contract violations can lead to a healthier organizational climate.