The Role of Organizational Culture and Organizational Trust in Political Behavior with the Mediation of Job Engagement (Case Study: Employees of Tehran Governorate)

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the role of organizational culture and organizational trust in political behavior with the mediation of job engagement among employees of the Tehran Governorate. This study is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive-correlational based on structural equation modeling for data collection. The statistical population consisted of all employees of the Tehran Governorate in 2024, totaling 972 individuals. The sample size was determined to be 248 based on the statistical population, using stratified random sampling and Morgan’s table. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires, including the Organizational Culture Questionnaire by Sashkin and Morris (1984), the Organizational Trust Questionnaire by Alonen et al. (2008), the Job Engagement Questionnaire by Schaufeli et al. (2002), and the Political Behavior Questionnaire by Dubrin (1978). The validity of the questionnaires was confirmed through face and content validity methods, and their reliability was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha at 0.89, 0.87, 0.91, and 0.81, respectively. Data analysis was conducted at both descriptive and inferential levels (structural equation modeling) using SPSS 24 and LISREL 8.8 software. The results indicated that organizational culture (β = -0.48) and job engagement (β = -0.63) had a significant role in political behavior. Additionally, organizational culture (β = 0.50) and organizational trust (β = 0.48) had a direct, positive, and significant effect on job engagement. Organizational culture and organizational trust had an indirect effect on political behavior through the mediation of job engagement. Thus, the mediating role of job engagement in this study was confirmed. Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that organizational culture, organizational trust, and job engagement can enhance constructive political behavior, thereby influencing organizational decisions and strategies. Overall, leveraging organizational culture, organizational trust, and job engagement can mitigate the negative impact of political behaviors in the organization.