Lecturers' interpersonal trust in peers, job performance, and OCBI: examining the mediating role of positive affect during the Covid-19 pandemic utilizing the PLSe2 estimator
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management
ISSN: 1741-0401
Article publication date: 2 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Guided by the affective events theory (AET), the purpose of this paper was to explore the impact of interpersonal trust in peers, as an affective work event, on two affect-driven behaviors (i.e. job performance and organizational citizenship behavior toward individuals [OCBI]) via positive affect during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the Asia–Pacific region.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is quantitative in approach, and longitudinal survey study in design. The authors collected data from lecturers in 2020 at the beginning, at the end and two months after the first Covid-19 lockdown in Malaysia. Then, the authors utilized the efficient partial least squares (PLSe2) estimator to investigate the relationships between the variables, while also considering gender as a control variable.
Findings
The findings show that positive affect fully mediates the relationship between interpersonal trust in peers and job performance and partially mediates the relationship between interpersonal trust in peers and OCBI. Given that gender did not demonstrate any significant relationships with interpersonal trust in peers, positive affect, job performance and OCBI, the recommended policies can be universally developed and applied, irrespective of the gender of academics.
Originality/value
This research contributes originality by integrating the widely recognized theoretical framework of AET and investigating a less explored context, specifically the Malaysian higher education sector during the challenging initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the authors adopt a novel and robust methodological approach, utilizing the efficient partial least squares (PLSe2) estimator, to thoroughly examine and validate the longitudinal theoretical model from both explanatory and predictive perspectives.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to express our sincere appreciation to the reviewers and editors who contributed their expertise and valuable insights to enhance the quality of this work. Their meticulous attention to detail, thoughtful suggestions, and dedicated efforts have greatly enriched our paper in terms of clarity and coherence.
Citation
Ghasemy, M. and Frömbling, L. (2023), "Lecturers' interpersonal trust in peers, job performance, and OCBI: examining the mediating role of positive affect during the Covid-19 pandemic utilizing the PLSe2 estimator", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-10-2022-0523
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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