Employees’ Negative Megaphoning in Response to Organizational Injustice: The Mediating Role of Perceived Incivility and Organizational Identification

Abstract

This study examines the mechanisms through which perceived organizational injustice influences employees’ engagement in negative megaphoning behaviors, with mediating roles of perceived incivility and organizational identification. Data were collected through a structured survey administered to 350 full-time employees working in various organizations across the Punjab region of Pakistan. The data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS, employing structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that employees’ perceptions of interactional, distributive, and procedural injustice heighten experiences of workplace incivility, which subsequently increase the likelihood of negative megaphoning directed toward both internal and external audiences. Moreover, organizational injustice weakens employees’ organizational identification, reducing their psychological attachment to the organization and further encouraging the dissemination of negative information. These results highlight how unfair treatment not only deteriorates interpersonal workplace relations but also undermines employees’ willingness to protect organizational reputation. By integrating organizational justice, workplace incivility, and social identification perspectives, this study advances understanding of the psychological pathways linking injustice to harmful informal communication behaviors. Practically, the findings emphasize the importance of fair procedures, respectful interactions, and the cultivation of strong organizational identification to mitigate negative employee communication and promote healthier employee–organization relationships.