Understanding Machiavellianism's impact on counterproductive work behavior: The mediation of perceived organizational fairness and moderation of job autonomy

BackgroundIn the contemporary organizational environment, outcomes can be both positive and negative. Personality characteristics are significant contributors. Machiavellianism is a significant correlator of work-related counterproductive work behavior.ObjectivesThis study investigates whether perceived organizational fairness mediates the relationship between Machiavellianism and counterproductive work behavior and whether job autonomy moderates this relationship among employees in the private sector banking industry.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional research design. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 435 banking professionals. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain a representative sample of major private-sector banks in South India. The analysis was performed using SmartPLS (v.4.1.0.6).ResultsThe findings suggest that Machiavellian workers tend to exhibit negative work behaviors more than their counterparts with non-Machiavellian traits in an organization believed to have low levels of organizational fairness. In contrast, job autonomy was observed to have a strong moderating influence on the correlation between Machiavellianism and counterproductive work behavior.ConclusionThis study emphasizes that promoting fairness in organizational actions and empowering employees based on job autonomy are viable measures for discouraging destructive behaviors in the workplace. These insights offer important guidance to organizational leaders, indicating that by adopting a holistic approach, a work culture where negative behaviors occur infrequently and behaviors that lead to sustained performance can be established.