The Relationship between Perceived Organizational support, Ethical Climate and Workplace Deviance

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between perceived organizational support, ethical climate and workplace deviance. The study examined the moderating effect of ethical climate in the relationship between perceived organizational support and workplace deviance. The crosssectional survey method was used to collect data. One hundred and seventy-seven (177) participants were recruited from a training institution, a human resource firm and an Information technology institution in Accra. They were administered questionnaires assessing perception of organizational support, perception of organisational ethical climate and workplace deviant behaviours. Data was analysed using Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. Results of the regression analysis showed a significant negative relationship between perceived organizational support and workplace deviance. Further, there was a significant negative relationship between caring climate and workplace deviance, and a significant positive relationship between instrumental climate and workplace deviance. The Moderating analysis showed that ethical climate moderate the relationship between perceived organizational support and workplace deviance. Further, the moderating analysis showed that rule climate does not moderate the relationship between perceived organisational support and workplace deviance. These findings imply that when employees perceive the organization to be supportive, they are less likely to engage in workplace deviance. It is therefore recommended that managers should incorporate caring, law and code climate in organizational support programmes to increase its effectiveness in restraining workplace deviance behaviors.