EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CYNICISM ON COMMITMENT AND JOB SATISFACTION OF EMPLOYEES IN PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS IN GHANA: A STUDY OF UNIVERSITY FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Abstract

The study examined the effects of organizational cynicism on commitment and job satisfaction of employees in Ghana’s public sector organization, with a specific focus on three employee groups (Senior Member Teaching Staff, Senior Member Non-Teaching Staff and Senior Staff) of University for Development Studies. Using quantitative research approach, results of the ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences in mean scores of organizational cynicism of the three employee groups; with Senior Staff employee group recording the highest prevalence in organizational cynicism, followed by the Senior Member Teaching Staff employee group, whiles the Senior Member Non-Teaching Staff employee group recorded the lowest prevalence of organizational cynicism respectively. Results of Pearson correlation analysis found a significant inverse relationship between employee’s organizational cynicism and their job satisfaction in the university. Linear regression analysis of the study also found organizational cynicism as a significant predictor of employee’s commitment and job satisfaction in the university, which further mean that employee’s organizational cynicism impacts negatively on their commitment and job satisfactions in the university, given the magnitude of the unstandardized coefficients. Practical implication of the study begins with Management of universities and public organizations recognizing employee cynicism as a deviant work attitude, with far-reaching repercussions on critical employee attitudinal factors such as organization commitment and job satisfaction. The study recommended that Management of public universities must deal with organizational policies that provide fertile grounds for breeding employee cynicism, work disengagement and dissatisfaction. Theoretically, the study is guided by the psychological contract theory.