Mediating Effect of Employee Engagement on the Relationship between Organizational Justice and Citizenship Behaviour: A Study of Support Staff in State Hospitals of Puttalam District, Sri Lanka

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.