Dawid Szostek

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland

E-mail: dawidsz@umk.pl

ORCID 0000-0001-6743-854X

Exploring the role of work meaningfulness and affective commitment in mitigating counterproductive work behaviors

Adam P. Balcerzak

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn Poland

Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czechia;

Centre for Business Research, Pan-European University, Prague, Czechia

E-mail: a.balcerzak@uwm.edu.pl

ORCID 0000-0003-0352-137

Elżbieta Rogalska

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn Poland

E-mail: elzbieta.rogalska@uwm.edu.pl

ORCID 0000-0003-4995-5791

Abstract. The objective of this article is to examine the extent to which work meaningfulness (WM) and affective commitment (AC) as a component of organizational commitment (OC) influence counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). A supplementary aim is to assess the moderating role of selected demographic variables, including gender, age, tenure, and type of work, in shaping these relationships. The research objectives were addressed through a survey conducted among professionally active individuals in Poland. The empirical data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The proposed theoretical framework aimed to investigate the effects of WM and AC on both organizational and interpersonal dimensions of counterproductive work behaviors (CWB-O and CWB-I), as well as on specific subjective manifestations of such behaviors, namely abuse toward others, theft, sabotage, and withdrawal. The findings indicate that both WM and AC exert a statistically significant negative influence on withdrawal behaviors. However, their relationships with other forms of CWB - including CWB-O, CWB-I, sabotage, theft, and abuse - were found to be statistically insignificant. Furthermore, the moderating analysis revealed that gender plays a primary role in shaping the impact of WM and AC on CWB.

Received: January, 2025

1st Revision: October, 2025

Accepted: December, 2025

DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2025/18-4/3

JEL Classification: M5, M12, M54, C30

Keywords: work meaningfulness, affective commitment, organizational commitment, counterproductive work behavior