The Impact of Negative Gossip in Educational Institutions on the Job Performance of School Teachers: The Mediating Role of Organizational Trust
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71285/icpt.v3i2.31Keywords:
Negative workplace gossip, organizational trust, job performance, educational institutionsAbstract
The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of negative gossips in school environments on teachers' job performance and explore the mediating role of organizational trust in the relationship between negative gossips and job performance in educational organizations. The study used a descriptive-analytical research. A questionnaire was prepared to record the study variables, and was applied on a sample of teachers at school in the Open Educational College – Tuz Branch in the Republic of Iraq. These data were then statistically analyzed using SPSS version 27 using correlation coefficient, regression analysis and mediation analysis using Bootstrap method. The results indicated that the intensity of negative gossips in the workplace was moderate, while the trust within the organization was high and the job performance was very high. The findings also showed that the direct effect of negative workplace gossip on the job performance was not statistically significant. The negative effect of negative workplace gossip, on the other hand, was significant on the organizational trust, and organizational trust was significant on job performance. In addition, the study showed that organizational trust completely mediated the relationship between negative workplace gossip and job performance, implying that the negative workplace gossip has an indirect influence on job performance through reducing organizational trust in the educational institution. The study found that creating a school culture that is built on trust and cooperation helps to mitigate the harmful impacts of school gossip and support teachers' effectiveness. It also suggested creating positive organizational culture, enhancing positive communication among employees and further training and guidance programs based on the principles of organizational trust and elimination of negative behaviors in education work environment.
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