PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE AND LEADER EMPATHIC COMMUNICATION AS PREDICTORS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CYNICISM AMONG PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN OYO ZONE

Abstract

Organizational cynicism, a subtle but damaging attitudinal problem, manifesting in teacher distrust of leadership, resistance to reforms, and reduced commitment remains underexplored in Nigeria. This study examined the predictive roles of perceived organizational justice and leader empathic communication on organizational cynicism among public secondary school teachers in Oyo Zone, Nigeria. A correlational survey design was employed, targeting 1,785 teachers across 88 public secondary schools, from which a sample of 338 was proportionately drawn using multistage sampling. Data were collected using validated instruments: the organizational cynicism, organizational justice and leaders empathic communication scales, all adapted and pilot-tested for cultural relevance. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, pearson’s correlations, and multiple regression. Results indicated that 53% of teachers reported moderate levels of cynicism, while 19% reported high levels. Perceived organizational justice (r = –.51, p < .01) and empathic communication (r = –.40, p < .01) correlated negatively with cynicism. These findings confirm that teacher cynicism is both structurally and relationally driven, suggesting the need for systemic fairness reforms alongside leadership training in empathic communication.