PERCEIVED OCCUPATIONAL RISK AND CORRUPTION TOLERANCE IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS: MEDIATORY ROLES OF PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT

Abstract

Corruption and its tolerance may worsen the negative consequences of the mass exodus of healthcare workers on the remaining employees and the recipients of their services, especially in the face of inadequate organizational support. This study, therefore, investigated how perceived occupational risk (perceived work safety risk and work-related abuse and threats) predict corruption tolerance; and whether perceived organizational support mediated the relationships. This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 388 healthcare workers (168 males; 220 females) of three large public healthcare facilities in southwestern Nigeria. The participants responded to measures of perceived work safety, work-related abuse and threats, perceived organizational support, and corruption tolerance. Results of the 3-step hierarchical multiple regression showed that corruption tolerance significantly increased as healthcare workers felt unsafe and were abused and threatened at work. However, healthcare workers became significantly intolerant of corruption as the level at which they felt that the organization supported and was concerned about their well-being increased. As indicated in the results of Baron and Kenny’s mediation test, perceived organizational support significantly mediated the relationships of perceived work safety risk and work-related abuse and threats with corruption tolerance in such a way that when healthcare workers felt supported and appreciated at work, they tended to be less tolerant of corruption despite the perceived unsafe, abusive and threatening work environment. Consequently, managers of healthcare facilities should, engage in deliberate and overt efforts that reduce perceived occupational risk and discourage behaviors that threaten the physical and psychological well-being of healthcare workers in order to reduce corruption tolerance among healthcare workers.   Key words: corruption, perceived support, work safety risk, threat, health worker, Nigeria