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Organizational cynicism (OC) has been defined as "an attitude resulting from a critical appraisal of the motives, actions, and values of one’s employing organization"(1). People who are organizationally cynical believe that the practices of their organizations betray a lack of ethical principles such as fairness, honesty and sincerity. To date, OC has been studied in manufacturing, business and industry organizations, but never in an acute care setting or with nurses
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The empirical study of OC is so new there are no definitive answers about causes or effects. However, research indicates that fewer opportunities for autonomous behavior predict OC, as do workplace hassles, psychological contract violations (the perception that the organization did not keep its promises), and procedural injustice violations (2). The negative consequences of high OC are thought to be vast, including negative behavioral work intentions, increased labor grievances in unionized organizations, decreased work motivation, and decreased extra-role behaviors—in short, the quality of work suffers.
Our data indicates that about 20% of the nurses in a large academic health care setting had high levels of OC. Employees with high OC were significantly more likely to report that they intended to leave the institution (odds ratio 4.8, p<.001). These preliminary findings suggest that reducing OC could lead to improved nursing satisfaction and retention, as well as promote quality patient care. The potential cost savings could be significant, but further study is needed.
References
1. Bedeian, A. G. (2007). Even if the tower is "ivory," it isn't "white:" Understanding the consequences of faculty cynicism. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6(1), 9-32, p. 11.
2. Kim, T.-Y., Bateman, T. S., Gilbreth, B., & Anderson, L. M. (2009). Top management credibility and employe cynicism; A comprehensive model. Human Relations, 62, 1435-1458.