Dysfunctional cognition, social support and counterproductive work behaviors in schools

Purpose We explored the effect of the interplay between dysfunctional cognition (DC) and social support (SS) on conflict and psychological safety as antecedents of teachers' counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). Design/methodology/approach We used multilevel analysis to test in a sample of 3,689 teachers nested at 331 Romanian schools the association between DC and work climate described by conflict and psychological safety and the extent to which these dimensions drive engagement in counterproductive work behaviors CWB. Findings Social support alleviates the positive association between DC and conflict and attenuates the deleterious consequences of DC for psychological safety. Social support also alleviates the association between DC and CWB, and perceptions of a conflictual work climate lacking psychological safety explain the association between DC and CWB. Research limitations/implications The results have important implications for educational administrators and managers, emphasizing anew the critical importance of social support at work for preventing the deleterious consequences of DC. Originality/value Our results highlight the aggregated, school-level effects of dysfunctional cognition and open venues for future research on the impact of dysfunctional cognition within schools.