Relationship between Professional Ethics and Anti-citizenship Behaviors (Case: Staff Members of University of Isfahan)

Introduction Worrying and increasing immoral behaviors in organizations, have drawn the thinker's attention to this issue. Facing many challenges in controlling different organizations, managers and leaders have paid more attention to professional ethics. Professional ethics is referred to a collection of commitments and tasks related to job duties individuals are expected to perform (Stilllman, 1996). Professional ethics has a crucial role in organizations progress and is deemed as one of the factors for their assessment. However, studies have shown that professional ethics has a low status in Iran. In this regard, Moeedfar (2007), in a research, suggested that escaping the work, reluctance, waste of time at work, people's confusion when referred to private and state offices and organizations, display lack of professional ethics in organizations and unfortunately this process is increasing. On the other hand, failing to observe professional ethics will cause undesirable outcomes. One of them is to promote anti-citizenship behaviors which will have disadvantages for organizations and the society.
The most important capital of an organization, is its staff, because that very staff can improve or degrade an organization by their behavior. Stuke et al. (2003), introduces organizational citizenship behaviors as a collection of voluntary and optional behaviors, which are not the official duties of staff, but are done by them to effectively improve the responsibilities and roles in organizations. If such behaviors are replaced by anti-citizenship behaviors, which are deemed by some people as misbehavior of staff reducing their efficiency (Ball et al., 1994), the organization will be demolished.
Anti-citizenship behaviors are performed with aim of harming organizations or individuals inside. Most of these behaviors are done to damage (Sabahi et al., 2010, p.46). As Pearce and Giacalone(2003) suggest, the available research about anti-citizenship behaviors are rather new. These behaviors may lead to billions of dollars loss in the year. Robinson and Bennett (1995, p. 555), believe that, anti-citizenship behaviors at work environment are considered as deviant, and at the same time, immoral behaviors. Giacalone and Greenberg (1997), suggest that, organizational anti-citizenship behaviors are ones which damage organizations or shareholders. They consider behaviors such as bribery, discrimination, greed, lying, sabotage, thief, and violence as anti-citizenship behaviors. These behaviors have negative effect on organizational performance, interpersonal and inter-organizational relationships of individuals. Such behaviors are established though repetition in organizations and beside the problem they make for organization, their clients may be faced with some problems. Thus, trust in institutions is reduced and eventually lead to dissatisfaction of organization. Furthermore, because these organizations are parts of the society, promotion of these behaviors is regarded as a social disorder targeting the whole society. This study aims to investigate the intensity and direction of effect of professional ethics on inclination toward anti-citizenship behaviors. The following hypothesis are investigated in this research: Main hypothesis: There is a relationship between professional ethics and anti-citizenship behaviors .
Side hypothesis: There is a relationship between honesty and anti-citizenship behaviors.
There is a relationship between criticizability and anti-citizenship behaviors.
There is a relationship between organizational commitment and anti-citizenship behaviors.
There is a relationship between punctuality and anti-citizenship behaviors.
There is a relationship between cooperation and anti-citizenship behaviors.
Material & The research method is survey. In this study, the questionnaire of organizational anti-citizenship behaviors created by Fox and Spector (2001) was used. The purpose of this questionnaire is to assess organizational anti-citizenship behaviors (in terms of obstinacy, resistance against authority, evading the task, resentment, aggression). The hand-made questionnaire of the researcher with variables of honesty, criticizability, organizational commitment, punctuality, cooperation) was also used. After confirmation of validity and reliability of the questionnaire (Table1), they were distributed and personally collected. Population size was all 1230 staff members of university. To determine sample size, sample power software was utilized. Sample size were estimated 200 persons, but 4 defective questionnaire were omitted and final sample size was 196 persons. Clustered sampling was used in this study. To ensure the validity of the assessment tool in this study, content validity and construct validity were used. The questionnaire was submitted to the researchers and experts to confirm face validity and content validity.
Reliability of questionnaire
Table 1. Calculation of reliability coefficient of side dimensions.
Variable
index Amount of Cronbach' alpha coefficient Professional ethics Organizational commitment
0.8
Punctuality
0.6
Cooperation
0.7
Honesty
0.6
Criticizability
0.6
Anti-citizenship behaviors Resistance against authority
0.8
Evading the task
0.8
Obstinacy
0.7
Resentment
0.7
Aggression
0.6
Sample size included 111 male and 85 female and more frequency was related to the age ranging 34-42, and the less frequency was related to the age ranging 43-51.The majority of participant had B.A degree, and the rest, had M.A or higher decree. The least frequency was related to the persons having diploma.
Discussion of Results & Table2. Results of Pearson correlation coefficient dependent independent Anti-citizenship behaviors Honesty Pearson correlation coefficient
-0.18
Determination coefficient
0.03
Level of significance
0.00
Criticizability
Pearson correlation coefficient
-0.34
Determination coefficient
0.11
Level of significance
0.00
Organizational commitment
Pearson correlation coefficient
-0.41
Determination coefficient
0.16
Level of significance
0.02
Punctuality
Pearson correlation coefficient
-0.29
Determination coefficient
0.08
Level of significance
0.003
cooperation
Pearson correlation coefficient
-0.53
Determination coefficient
0.28
Level of significance
0.04
Table3. Results of Pearson Correlation Correlation
Dependent variable
Independent variable
Anti-citizenship behaviors
Professional ethics
Pearson Coefficient Correlation
-0.38
Determination Coefficient
0.14
Level of significance
0.000
Table4. Statistics of analysis of multi-variable regression of anti-citizenship behaviors
variable Beta tsig
Variance analysis
Multiple correlation coefficient
0.70
Statistic F
Level of significance
Determination coefficient
0.41
cooperation
-0.617
-9.203
0.000
72.68
0.000
Modified determination coefficient
0.40
Organizational commitment
-0.51
-7.233
0.000
Standard error of estimate
0.51
Critcizability
-0.420
-6.411
0.000
Punctuality
-0.250
-3.787
0.000
Honesty
-0.181
-2.432
0.000
The results show that, all variables of professional ethics had negative and significant relationship with anti-citizenship behaviors. Of variables of professional ethics, cooperation had the most effect on anti-citizenship behaviors. After that, organizational commitment, criticizability, punctuality, and honesty had the most effect.
Testing main hypothesis indicated that negative and significant correlation with average intensity exists between professional ethics and anti-citizenship behaviors. Thus, it seems that, it is necessary for individuals and staff members of all organizations to follow professional ethics in order to reduce anti-citizenship behaviors in the society, improve the efficiency of organizations, and finally build a healthier society.
Sovereignty of professional ethics in organization, can strikingly reduce the tension, and help the organization to succeed. Professional ethics affects the quality and quantity of staff activities, forming their successful performance.
Setting professional ethics in accordance with the culture of society which tries to establish it in all work environment, is one of the requirements of improvement, which finally leads to an ethic-based society. It also proved an opportunity for competition and superiority in international arena in all fields. What is obtained through organizations and work environment is establishing an ethic-based society.
Therefore it is suggested that: -Researcher should be involved in finding the reason behind lack of code of ethics in organizations, and why individuals do not exactly follow these principles.
-cooperative behaviors should be developed as one of the most essential principles of professional ethics.
-If organizations seek to prevent anti-citizenship behaviors, they should reinforce organizational commitment by system of reward and punishment.
-honesty and criticizability as the most crucial elements of professional ethics in religious and international context, have several advantages one of which, is based on the findings of the present study, reducing anti-citizenship behaviors.
-Principles of organizational citizenship behaviors should be taught along with citizenship training in all degrees, especially high school.