Organizational justice and governance: Reducing counterproductive work behavior through emotional intelligence

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Abstract

This study investigates counterproductive work behavior (CWB) in organizations through a systematic literature review of 61 articles published between 2014 and 2024, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure methodological rigor. Thematic and hypothesis network analyses were employed to identify key factors contributing to CWB. The main findings indicate that distributive and procedural justice and personality traits such as neuroticism and emotional stability are significant predictors of CWB. This study provides a novel contribution by highlighting the critical role of daily interactions between supervisors and subordinates in shaping justice perceptions and moderating employees’ emotional responses. Practical steps recommended for organizations include equitable resource distribution, transparent decision-making processes, and enhanced communication between supervisors and employees. Emotional intelligence training for supervisors can further help reduce negative emotional responses and mitigate the risk of CWB. Moreover, this study encourages exploring cross-cultural perspectives to better understand how cultural differences influence justice perceptions and engagement in CWB across diverse workplace environments.

Keywords: Counterproductive Work Behavior, Organizational Justice, Emotional Intelligence, Personality Traits, Workplace Interactions, Systematic Literature Review

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — T.O.I. and S.; Investigation — T.O.I. and A.I.; Data Curation — T.O.I. and S.; Writing — Review & Editing — T.O.I., S., and A.I.; Funding Acquisition — T.O.I., S., and A.I.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: O15

Received: 14.10.2024
Revised: 23.11.2024; 11.12.2024; 11.04.2025
Accepted: 06.05.2025
Published online: 09.05.2025

How to cite this paper: Indrawiani, T. O., Suliyanto, & Indrayanto, A. (2025). Organizational justice and governance: Reducing counterproductive work behavior through emotional intelligence. Journal of Governance & Regulation, 14(2), 199–213. https://doi.org/10.22495/jgrv14i2art20