If you digress, shall we not neglect? Investigating the moderating role of individual cultural values while predicting job neglect among doctors as footprint of psychological contract violation

Bibliographic Data

ID15699996
AuthorsMuhammad Bilal Ahmad (0009-0008-0866-8108, University of the Punjab, corresponding author), Fizza Rizvi (0000-0002-0924-4189, University of the Punjab), Nausheen Shakeel (0000-0002-8071-1317, Lahore University of Management Sciences), Amna Niazi (0000-0002-4753-0434, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore)
Year2026
Volume14
Issue1
Pages237-237
Publication date2026-01-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMC Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2050-7283 • E-ISSN: 2050-7283
PublisherBioMed Central (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1186/s40359-025-03948-7
PMID41572338
OpenAlexW7125492982
LanguageEN
References cited28

Services provided by the health care sector is imperative for the society. Therefore, deviant behaviors among doctors is crucial to address for ensuring high-quality patient care, maintaining healthcare standards, and enhancing overall organizational efficiency in public sector hospitals. This study aims to predict deviant behavior resulting from psychological contract violations among doctors employed in public sector hospitals in Pakistan. It also examines the moderating effects of individual cultural differences, particularly mastery orientation and gender. The objective of the study is to emphasize on the factors contributing in negative behavioral outcomes in healthcare sector resultantly providing compromised services to the patients. A cross-sectional, two-way research design was employed, targeting doctors working in public hospitals. Structured questionnaires were employed for data collection. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS and Smart-PLS 4.0, employing partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between psychological contract violation and job neglect. Furthermore, mastery orientation was found to moderate this relationship: doctors with high mastery orientation were less likely to exhibit deviant behavior in response to psychological contract violations compared to those with low mastery orientation. Gender was also examined as a moderating variable with significant impact. The study highlights the importance of managing counterproductive behaviors among doctors by implementing appropriate pre- and post-intervention strategies. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed

Health care · Neglect · Orientation (vector space · Psychological contract · Psychological research · Public sector · Structural equation modeling · Emotional Labor in Professions · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Workplace Violence and Bullying