Organizational Identification and Negative Workplace Gossip among Kindergarten Teachers: The Mediating Role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior

As is well known, negative workplace gossip is common in organizational settings and is demonstrably harmful; however, its antecedents and underlying mechanisms remain understudied within Chinese culture. This study examines the relationship between organizational identification and negative workplace gossip among Chinese kindergarten teachers, and investigates the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior in this relationship. The findings aim to offer theoretical insights for management practices. We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online self-administered questionnaire with random sampling among kindergarten teachers from multiple provinces in China. The measures included Chinese versions of the Perceived Negative Workplace Gossip Scale, the Organizational Identification Scale, and the Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale. Valid data were obtained from 1872 participants. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed mediation model. The results showed that organizational identification was positively related to organizational citizenship behavior, and both were negatively associated with negative workplace gossip. Organizational citizenship behavior fully mediated the relationship between organizational identification and negative workplace gossip. These findings clarify the mediating mechanism in the Chinese context and extend the literature by focusing on kindergarten teachers. Practically, enhancing organizational identification and organizational citizenship behavior may reduce negative workplace gossip and improve management effectiveness.