The contribution of felt obligation towards managing counterproductive work behaviour among teachers in government secondary schools in Mityana district.

Abstract

This study was guided by three main objectives which are; to examine the degree of felt obligation among the secondary school teachers, to analyse the manifestation of counterproductive work behaviour among secondary school teachers, and finally to assess the relationship between felt obligation and counterproductive work behaviour. The study adopted a cross sectional design employing a mixed approach. Questionnaires were used for data collection in the quantitative approach, and interview guide was used for qualitative approach. The questionnaires were distributed to a target of 148 respondents and 113 were retrieved. Thus a response rate of 76.4% was realised. 22 participants participated in the qualitative study. The results showed that the level of felt obligation is not desirable given the response which showed that the participants could not certainly tell that whether the teachers demonstrated obligation for duty, loyalty and trust. It was also revealed that the institutions are still experiencing counterproductive work behaviours mainly relating to absenteeism, male teachers being engaged in sex with the female students, stealing of school item, and quarrels among the teachers. However it was indicated that the teachers cover-up most of the severe counterproductive behaviour such that it is hard to exactly identify the culprits. Finally, the correlation results indicate that felt obligation was positively related to manage counterproductive work behaviour. This means that a sense of felt obligation discourages people to be engaged in behaviours that harm the organisation or its people. Given the findings, secondary schools in Mityana should be observant to track the counterproductive behaviours that may exist but not openly indicated. The institutions need to record the most recurring counterproductive behaviours. Finally, the learning institutions should review the degree to which they fulfil the expectations of the teachers. This is so since fulfilment of the same is likely to place an obligation on employees who would then desist from being engaged in counterproductive work behaviours