A Corruption of Public Values at Work; Psychosocial Safety Climate, Work Conditions, andWorker Health Across 31 European Countries

Abstract

The corruption of public values as evident in acts of corruption in public institutions (the use of publicly entrusted power for personal gain), is a major global threat to democratic processes in society and has a significant effect on national health, well-being, and productivity. But how do corrupt values in society infiltrate the workplace?We explore this question with the hope of exposing and pushing back the effects of corrupt values in society and enhancing worker health. We argue that ethical leadership, inspired by utilitarian consequentialism, is required for effective occupational safety and health (OSH) management at work, particularly as it relates to a climate for worker psychological health (or psychosocial safety climate, PSC). We expect that a corruption of public values, evident in corrupt societies, motivated by egoistic consequentialism, would undermine leadership for PSC, with consequences for work conditions, worker health and well-being. Across 31 European countries we measured corruption via the Corruption Perception Index (CPI); leadership for PSC via reports from 18, 782 most senior OSH managers; and work conditions, worker health and well-being from 32, 203 workers. The most senior OSH leaders reported that stress (43% of respondents), bullying and harassment (23%), and violence (23%) were a major concern. Their practices for implementation of PSC varied by country, with 24% of the variance due to country factors. Using multilevel modelling we found that corruption had a sizeable effect (17%) in PSC. Countries with higher levels of corruption showed less PSC, which related to worse job conditions (higher emotional demands, lower supervisor support), and reduced worker health (work not positive for health and subjective general health). Corruption may also work through annexing power, and reducing worker job control. Although corrupt values infiltrate organizations, the workplace could provide a site for counteraction through building transparency and values-based ethical leadership.