Abstract:
The research deals with the effect of organisational justice (OJ) on organisational
citizenship behaviour (OCB) using employee engagement (EE) as the mediating
variable among the supportive staff of the state hospitals in the Puttalam District in
Sri Lanka. The study addresses a significant gap in the literature, particularly in the
field of public healthcare, where limited attention has been given to the supporting
workforce, despite its essential role in operational success and patient satisfaction.
Failure to support this group may cause staff demotivation, diminished patient
satisfaction, and inefficiencies. The main objective of this study is to investigate how
distributive, procedural, and interactional justice influence organisational citizenship
behaviour with the mediation of employee engagement. The study used a quantitative
design, and data were collected through structured questionnaires from 226
participants selected by stratified random sampling. Validated scales- UWES for
employee engagement and organ’s OCB scale ensured methodological credibility. OJ
covered distributive, procedural, and interactional justice; EE used Vigour,
dedication, and absorption; OCB used altruism, civic virtue, conscientiousness, and
sportsmanship. Multiple regression and Mediation were used to validate the claim
that all three dimensions of organisational justice had a significant and positive
impact on organisational citizenship behaviour. Employee engagement significantly
mediated the relationship, strengthening discretionary behaviours. Of the three OJ
dimensions, distributive justice had the greatest impact on OCB. Equitable treatment
and interaction foster an OCB-friendly culture, even in resource-limited hospitals.
Research can extend to other districts or contrast private and public healthcare
outcomes. This is one of the first studies in Sri Lanka to empirically demonstrate the
mediating role of employee engagement in the OJ–OCB relationship among patient
care supportive staff.
