EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT AS CORRELATES OF SABOTAGE BEHAVIOR AMONG UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

The study at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, involved 183 administrative workers (87 Males and 96 Females) to explore the relationships between emotional regulation, organizational support, and sabotage behavior. Using three reliable instruments; the Emotion Regulation Inventory (ERI), Organizational Support Scale (OSS), and Sabotage Behavior Scale (SBS). the study demonstrated strong reliability, with Cronbach alpha values of 0.881, 0.791, and 0.922, respectively. The study is significant because it underscores the role of emotional regulation in reducing sabotage behavior and enhancing worker performance, particularly in Nigerian universities. It also offers insights for university management and business organizations on improving organizational productivity and addressing challenges through better emotional regulation and support. Furthermore, the research enriches academic literature on the relationship between emotional regulation, organizational support, and sabotage behavior, providing a valuable reference for future studies. The findings showed that as emotional regulation increases, sabotage behavior decreases. Insufficient emotional regulation was linked to heightened stress and frustration, often leading to sabotage behaviors. The study suggested that individuals who struggle to manage their emotions effectively are more likely to engage in negative behaviors as a means of expressing dissatisfaction. The study tested three hypotheses. The first hypothesis revealed a moderate positive correlation (p < 0.001) between emotional regulation and sabotage behavior, indicating that better emotional regulation reduces sabotage. The second hypothesis found a moderate positive correlation (p < 0.001) between organizational support and sabotage behavior, suggesting that higher perceived organizational support could lead to increased sabotage, possibly due to negative perceptions of the support provided. The third hypothesis confirmed that emotional regulation lowers sabotage behavior (β = 0.35), while organizational support may inadvertently increase it (β = 0.25). Together, emotional regulation and organizational support explained 22% of the variance in sabotage behavior. In conclusion, the study recommends comprehensive emotional regulation training programs and enhanced feedback mechanisms to mitigate sabotage behaviors and improve workplace harmony.