Investigating the Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Relationship between Perceived Organizational Politics and Counterproductive Behavior among University Faculty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajahs.v5i1.6923Keywords:
Counterproductive Behavior, Emotional Intelligence, Higher Education Institutions, Perceived Organizational Politics, Social Exchange TheoryAbstract
This study examines the moderating effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the association between perceived organizational politics (POP) and counterproductive behavior (CB) in a sample of 385 public university faculties from six public universities in Bangladesh. The results were obtained using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), which demonstrated that POP has a significant impact on CB, and that EI is a moderator that dilutes this correlation. In particular, although greater POP levels correspond to greater CB, faculty members with greater EI are more emotionally controlled, which decreases their likelihood of engaging in counterproductive behavior. This study builds on social exchange theory (SET) by including EI as a psychological resource that mitigates the adverse impact of perceived organizational politics to provide subtle insights into how individuals respond to workplace stressors. The findings indicate that the development of EI can be an efficient approach to reducing CB and improving the well-being of faculty, which can be of great value in managing organizational politics in academic environments. This study contributes to the literature on individual differences and organizational behavior by demonstrating the importance of emotion regulation in lessening maladaptive responses to political stressors
Downloads
References
Abdi, A.-N. (2025). Perceived organizational politics, turnover intention, and commitment in higher education institutions: The contingent role of Islamic work ethics. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1544269/full
Ahmed, S., Tahir, M., & Iqbal, A. (2020). Influence of Organizational Politics on University Teachers’ Performance. Global Social Sciences Review, V, 341–355. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2020(V-II).33
Ali, F., Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Ryu, K. (2018). An assessment of the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in hospitality research. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(1), 514–538. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2016-0568
Baloch, M. A., Meng, F., Xu, Z., Cepeda-Carrion, I., Danish, & Bari, M. W. (2017). Dark Triad, Perceptions of Organizational Politics and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: The Moderating Effect of Political Skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01972
Bennett, R., & Robinson, S. (2000). Development of a Measure of Workplace Deviance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 349–360. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.85.3.349
Blau, P. M. (1964). Justice in Social Exchange. Sociological Inquiry, 34(2), 193–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.1964.tb00583.x
Cohen, J. (2013). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203771587
Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. (2005). Social Exchange Theory: An Interdisciplinary Review. Journal of Management, 31, 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602
de Wit, H., & Altbach, P. (2020a). Internationalization in higher education: Global trends and recommendations for its future. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 5, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898
de Wit, H., & Altbach, P. (2020b). Internationalization in higher education: Global trends and recommendations for its future. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 5, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898
Duradoni, M., Gursesli, M. C., Martucci, A., Gonzalez Ayarza, I. Y., Colombini, G., & Guazzini, A. (2025). Dark Personality Traits and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A PRISMA Systematic Review. Psychological Reports, 128(6), 3939–3966. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941231219921
Fang, Z. (2024). Recurrent Neural Network Research on a Flipped Classroom Online Collaborative Teaching Platform. Journal of Electrical Systems, 20, 271–281. https://doi.org/10.52783/jes.1945
Ferris, G., Adams, G., Kolodinsky, R., Hochwarter, W., & Ammeter, A. (2002). Perceptions of organizational politics: Theory and research directions. Research in Multi Level Issues, 1, 179–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1475-9144(02)01034-2
Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Brouer, R. L., & Munyon, T. P. (2012). Political skill in the organizational sciences. In Politics in organizations: Theory and research considerations (pp. 487–528). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Filice, L., & Weese, W. (2024). Developing Emotional Intelligence. Encyclopedia, 4, 583–599. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4010037
Godonoga, A. (2026). Embedding societal impact into education, research, and service: The case of business schools. Tertiary Education and Management. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11233-025-09160-x
Groth, M., Bindl, U. K., Wang, K., & van Kleef, G. A. (2024). How social roles shape interpersonal affect regulation at work. Organizational Psychology Review, 14(1), 25–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866231208048
Hair, J., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).
Herman, K., Sebastian, J., Eddy, C., & Reinke, W. (2023). School Leadership, Climate, and Professional Isolation as Predictors of Special Education Teachers’ Stress and Coping Profiles. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 31, 106342662211489. https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266221148974
Ilusanmi, A. M.-R., Somoye, O. I., & Adeyemo, O. O. (2025). Culturally Responsive Social-Emotional Learning in STEM for Underserved Students with Behavioral Challenges. American Journal of Education and Technology, 4(4), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajet.v4i4.4730
Joseph, D. L., & Newman, D. A. (2010a). Emotional intelligence: An integrative meta-analysis and cascading model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 54–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017286
Joseph, D. L., & Newman, D. A. (2010b). Emotional intelligence: An integrative meta-analysis and cascading model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 54–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017286
Kacmar, K., & Ferris, G. (1991). Perceptions of Organizational Politics Scale (POPS): Development and Construct Validation. Educational and Psychological Measurement - EDUC PSYCHOL MEAS, 51, 193–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164491511019
Karim, D. N. (2021). The Effect of Organizational Politics on Workplace Incivility in Higher Education Institutions in Bangladesh (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 4161961). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4161961
Kelloway, E. K., & Day, A. L. (2005). Building healthy workplaces: What we know so far. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement, 37(4), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0087259
Loi, N. (2014). Connections between emotional intelligence and workplace flourishing. Personality and Individual Differences, 66, 134–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.03.031
Mayer, R. E. (2024). The Past, Present, and Future of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. Educational Psychology Review, 36(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09842-1
Miao, M., Jalees, T., Zaman, S., Khan, S., Hanif, N.-A., & Javed, M. (2021). The influence of e-customer satisfaction, e-trust and perceived value on consumer’s repurchase intention in B2C e-commerce segment. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-03-2021-0221
O’Boyle, E., Forsyth, D., Banks, G., & Mcdaniel, M. (2011). A meta-analysis of the dark triad and work outcomes: A social exchange perspective. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 97, 557–579.
Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Mitchell, R., & Gudergan, S. P. (2020). Partial least squares structural equation modeling in HRM research. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(12), 1617–1643. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1416655
Salip, F. G., & Quines, L. A. (2023). The Mediating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship Between Authentic Leadership and Organizational Climate Among Public School Teachers. American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation, 2(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmri.v2i4.1730
Samanta, I., & Kallou, S. (2020). The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Counterproductive Work Behavior. European Business & Management, 6, 20. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ebm.20200602.11
Spector, P. E., Bauer, J. A., & Fox, S. (2010). Measurement artifacts in the assessment of counterproductive work behavior and organizational citizenship behavior: Do we know what we think we know? Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(4), 781–790. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019477
Spector, P. E., & Fox, S. (2005). The Stressor-Emotion Model of Counterproductive Work Behavior. In Counterproductive work behavior: Investigations of actors and targets (pp. 151–174). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10893-007
Spector, P. E., Fox, S., Penney, L. M., Bruursema, K., Goh, A., & Kessler, S. (2006). The dimensionality of counterproductivity: Are all counterproductive behaviors created equal? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(3), 446–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2005.10.005
Uddin, I., & Khan, Z. (2024). The Role of Higher Education in Economic Growth: Evidence from South Asian Countries. Economic Alternatives, (3), 556–567.
Wong, C.-S., & Law, K. S. (2012). Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale [Dataset]. https://doi.org/10.1037/t07398-000
Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., & Roberts, R. (2004a). Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: A Critical Review. Applied Psychology, 53, 371–399. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2004.00176.x
Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., & Roberts, R. (2004b). Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: A Critical Review. Applied Psychology, 53, 371–399. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2004.00176.x
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Md. Anamul Haque, Dewan Niamul Karim, Sabrina Sharmin Nishat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
