The Mediating Role of Work Values in the Relationship between Islamic Religiosity and Job Performance: Empirical Evidence from Egyptian Public Health Sector

Abstract

This study attempts to empirically examine the job performance of Egyptian employees working in public health sector from the perspective of Islamic religiosity, when work values play a mediating role; based on cognitive dissonance theory. These relationships were tested within a sample of (400) participants working in ten public hospitals located inside greater Cairo area, only (335) responded, with a response rate of 83.75%. Results revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between Islamic religiosity and the four dimensions of work values (instrumental, cognitive, social/altruistic, and prestige), and there is partial mediation between work values and job performance (task and contextual). Findings provided support that instrumental and prestige work values are significantly related to task performance, whilst cognitive and social work values are related to contextual performance. The three-part questionnaire was used to assess the study variables. Moreover, a confirmatory factor analysis, using AMOS20 was conducted to confirm the factor structure of the used scales in the target population. The implication of this finding is that religiosity and values-based management need to be accompanied by socio-economic public reforms to allow the identification of public-sector employees to their national work values and their commitment to the performance goals of their organizations.