The relationship between ethical climate and organizational cynicism: mediating role of match and identification with the organization

Depending on its type, the ethical climate of an organization has either beneficial or detrimental effects in the workplace. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the role of employees' attachment to the organization and the coherency of values between employees and organizations in the relationship between different types of ethical climates and negative attitudes toward the organization. This cross-sectional study tested the mechanisms of the direct and indirect effects of ethical climate on organizational cynicism through person-organization fit, organizational pride, and affective commitment, attempting to determine the protective function of different ethical climates on organizational cynicism, which is an undesirable workplace phenomenon. The study focused on 1071 Polish employees from different business areas with contracts of employment. The results showed that an instrumental ethical climate had positive direct and indirect effects on organizational cynicism through all three mediators, person-organization fit, organizational pride, and affective commitment. Moreover, beneficial indirect effects of caring and independent climates on organizational cynicism through person-organization fit, organizational pride, and affective commitment were also confirmed. Law and code and rules climates were positively and indirectly related to organizational cynicism via organizational pride but not organizational affective commitment. Discussed the impact of different ethical climates on organizational cynicism and the beneficial role of person-organization fit, organizational pride, and affective commitment underlying this relationship, emphasizing the preventing function of organizational attachment, organizational pride, and values consistency between employee and organization in referring cynical attitudes in the workplace.