High performance work system and collective OCB: a collective social exchange perspective

Despite an increasing number of studies showing a positive relationship between collective organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and unit or organisational performance, relatively little is known about the antecedents of collective OCB. In this study, we developed a collective social exchange approach to collective OCB. We hypothesised that a high performance work system (HPWS) is positively related to collective OCB through collective affective commitment (AC). We obtained data on HPWS, collective AC and collective OCB, all at the middle management group level, from 454 firms in China. Empirical results support the hypotheses.     

Organizational citizenship behaviour: a study of young executives in Canada,Iran, and Turkey

One of the most interesting constructs in organizational studies and human resource management is perhaps the concept of organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). OCB emphasizes constructive and cooperative employee behaviours that contribute to the organization, yet do not fall within the domain of mandatory in-role behaviours. While researchers have investigated the role of contextual attitudes and dispositional attributes on the OCB, there is a lack in cross-cultural examination of this concept. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of individuals' job-related attitudes and dispositional characteristics on their OCB in three different societal cultures, that is, Canada, Iran, and Turkey. Data reported were collected from 220 young executives in these three countries. The results reveal similarities and differences among these cultures on cognitive and affective predictors of OCB.     

The impact of socially responsible human resource management on employees' organizational citizenship behaviour: the mediating role of organizational identification

Based on insights from social exchange and social identity theories, this paper examines the influence of three dimensions of socially responsible human resource management (SR-HRM), namely legal compliance HRM, employee-oriented HRM and general CSR facilitation HRM, on employees' organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Structural equation modelling of dyadic data collected from Chinese employees and their direct supervisors in three phases revealed that whilst organizational identification fully mediated the relationship between employee-oriented HRM and employee OCB, general CSR facilitation HRM had a direct effect on employee OCB. In contrast, legal compliance HRM neither influenced employee OCB directly, nor indirectly through organizational identification. The findings highlight the important but complex role played by SR-HRM in eliciting positive employee work outcomes, and contribute to our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying this relationship.     

Justice and organizational citizenship: A commentary on the state of the science

The present article discusses the state of the science regarding the connection between organizational justice and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as reflected by the articles included in this issue. The research described in these articles reaches a conclusion in need of further elaboration—namely, that people will behave altruistically toward the oroganizations in which they work when they believe those organizations have treated them fairly. Various conceptual issues are discussed. These include: the willingness of people to express inequity distress by withholding OCB, the relative importance of procedural justice compared to distributive justice as a determinant of OCB (especially the social aspects of procedural justice), and the extent to which a reduction in OCB may reflect a desire to influence another individual, or the organization in general. A variety of methodological issues are also discussed. In this connection, it is suggested that correlational, questionnaire measures be supplemented by open-ended interview studies as well as laboratory investigations. Moreover, if questionnaires continue to be used, then it is recommended that attempts be made to improve the validity of both measures of justice and OCB.     

Citizenship ambivalence: Its nature,causes and consequences

Early research on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) indicated that such actions were beneficial to organizations and employees. In contrast, more recent work has suggested that there are also some negative consequences associated with these behaviors as well. However, research has yet to examine how employees who recognize both positive and negative aspects of OCB navigate this reality. To better understand this phenomenon, we define a new construct, citizenship ambivalence, which occurs when employees feel torn as to whether they should engage in or refrain from engaging in a specific act of OCB. We discuss the likely sources of citizenship ambivalence and employee responses to citizenship ambivalence, focusing particular attention on how citizenship ambivalence relates to the quantity of OCB performed, the quality of OCB performed, and citizenship fatigue. After discussing the causes and consequences of citizenship ambivalence, we conclude with a discussion of the implications for human resource management and directions for future research.     

The Cultural Matrix of Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Some Preliminary Conceptual and Empirical Observations

This research considers the applicability and meaningfulness of the concept “Organizational Citizenship Behavior” (OCB) across other cultures. As suggested by George and Jones, the context in which an organization operates may have as much or more to do with the occurrence of OCB as the more intensively studied antecedents in OCB literature (i.e.; satisfaction, commitment, disposition, perceived fairness). This article reviews the construct of OCB and its link to Human Resources, and offers a heuristic model relating two dimensions of culture to OCB. A small survey of 38 individuals from 26 different countries is presented as a way to begin looking at the issue of the global applicability of OCB. Aggregate and individual interview data are examined for leads toward identifying cultural variations on the incidence, perception, and encouragement of OCB.     

Organizational Inducements and Employee Citizenship Behavior: The Mediating Role of Perceived Insider Status and the Moderating Role of Collectivism

The organizational inducement model proposed in this study seeks to examine the mediating role of perceived insider status (PIS) and the moderating role of vertical collectivism on the relationship between organizational inducements and employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Among a sample of Chinese employees, the authors find that the organizational inducements of perceived supervisor support and participation led to higher levels of PIS, which in turn enhanced OCB. Furthermore, vertical collectivism moderated the relationship between PIS and OCB, such that their relationship grew stronger when collectivism was high. These findings have notable implications for theory and practice. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The linkage between profit sharing and organizational citizenship behaviour

The study investigated the effects of profit sharing (cash-based, stock-based and combined-total profit sharing) on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). It also examined the mediating role of organizational commitment on the relationship between profit sharing and OCB. Data were collected from 426 employees of 35 information electronics companies in Taiwan. Results showed that whereas cash-based profit sharing had no effect on OCB, both combined-total profit sharing and stock-based profit sharing positively influenced OCB. We also found that organizational commitment mediated the relationship between profit sharing (stock-based and combined-total profit sharing) and OCB.     

Organizational citizenship behaviour and turnover intention: a cross-cultural study

This study investigated the relationship between organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and turnover intention in 162 production workers in the same organization within Malaysia, Germany and England. Further, differences in ratings of OCB across cultures were examined. Self-report questionnaires measuring turnover intention and five dimensions of OCB (altruism, courtesy, conscientiousness, sportsmanship and civic virtue) were administered to the samples. Results illustrated that OCB related significantly to turnover intention, with sportsmanship emerging as the strongest predictor of turnover intention across cultures. Cultural differences in OCB ratings were seen, with the Malaysian sample generally scoring higher than the other two samples. However, the relationship between OCB and turnover intention was similar within each culture group. Explanations of the findings and limitations are discussed.     

If you're close with the leader,you must be a brownnose: The role of leader–member relationships in follower,leader, and coworker attributions of organizational citizenship behavior motives

Although scholars have recognized that organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) can be attributed to either self-serving or other-serving motives, little research has addressed the conditions under which different observers will make positive versus negative attributions for OCB. We draw on leader-member exchange (LMX) and attribution theories to propose that high-quality LMX relationships are associated with positive attributions of OCB motives by the follower and the leader but negative attributions of OCB motives by coworkers. We theorize that while high-quality LMX relationships are associated with attributions of pro-social and organizational concern motives by the follower and the leader, coworkers view OCB performed by those in high-quality LMX relationships as driven by impression management motives. We discuss implications for theory and research on OCB and LMX.     

Organizational citizenship behaviour and employee retention: how important are turnover cognitions?

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between perceived job alternatives, intention to search, intention to leave and organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB), with a view to determining the extent to which these variables are related. Two surveys using separate samples (Study 1, n = 651, and Study 2, n = 226) were used. First, in both studies, perceived job alternatives provided a better account of OCB towards the organization (sportsmanship and civic virtue) than OCB towards individuals (helping and altruism). Second, the results of Studies 1 and 2 indicate that the relationships between OCB and intention to search and between OCB and intention to quit are different. The findings suggest that one part of the research model appears to be generalizable, while the other part appears to be explained by the context of employment. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Treating employees fairly and organizational citizenship behavior: Sorting the effects of job satisfaction,organizational commitment,and procedural justice

A study was conducted to measure the relative contribution of perceptions of procedural justice toward predicting organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) controlling for the effects of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Employees in a national cable television company completed a survey containing measures of work satisfaction, affective and continuance commitment, and perceptions of fairness, while their managers completed an OCB survey. Results using LISREL 7 indicated support fpr relationships between procedural justice and commitment, satisfaction, and OCB. However, no individual relationships between commitment and OCB nor between satisfaction and OCB were found once the relationships between justice and citizenship were controlled. These findings are discussed using the group value model of procedural justice.     

Harmony and organizational citizenship behavior in Chinese organizations

From the divergence perspective in human resource management (HRM), this paper develops an indigenous framework exploring the mechanisms between the prominent cultural characteristic of harmony originating from Confucian ideology, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as well as job satisfaction in the Chinese context. By employing structural equation modeling, our findings demonstrate that the degree of harmony is positively related to employees' OCB and job satisfaction, and that job satisfaction positively mediates the relationship between the degree of harmony and OCB. This research – that examines the relationships between Chinese harmony grounding in an art-based view and employees' display of OCB derived from Western theories – is a response to the recent calls for introducing valid context-specific measures and considering the cultural impact on individual behaviors in HRM. This study suggests that firms in China may encourage employee OCB and job satisfaction by boosting harmonious level at workplace. It provides a useful guideline for multinational enterprises eager to effectively manage Chinese employees, and enriches non-Chinese managers' understanding of the values of harmony in China.     

The roles of tacit knowledge and OCB in the relationship between group‐based pay and firm performance

Researchers have suggested various mechanisms through which group‐based pay may affect firm performance, but few have provided direct empirical field tests of these mechanisms. In this paper, we argue that group‐based pay systems lead to more organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB) and facilitate the sharing and creation of tacit knowledge among core employees. OCB and tacit knowledge in turn enhance firm performance. Regression results show that group‐based pay is positively related to firm performance and that the relationship is partially mediated by core employees' OCB. We discuss implications for compensation theory and research.     

Emotional exhaustion and job performance: the mediating role of organizational commitment

We analyze the impact of emotional exhaustion (EE) on turnover intention, task performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) among hospital nurses in China. The differential mediating effects of affective organizational commitment on the associations between EE and turnover intention, task performance and OCB were examined. Data were collected from both nurses and their supervising physicians using a questionnaire survey in Mandarin. The results revealed full mediation effect for turnover intention and for OCB directed at the organization. There was a significant indirect effect for OCB directed at individuals and no mediation effect for task performance.     

Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Role Breadth: A Meta‐Analytic and Cross‐Cultural Analysis

We provide a meta‐analysis of the empirical literature concerning role breadth, defined as the degree to which employees consider organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) to be an inherent part of their job. Results based on a combined sample size of 9,222 showed: (a) Confucian Asians consider OCB as part of their job to a greater extent than do their Anglo counterparts; (b) affiliative kinds of OCB (e.g., helping, conscientiousness, and courtesy) are more likely to be considered part of one's job than are change‐oriented OCB (e.g., voice, taking charge, and initiative); and (c) OCB‐inclusive role breadth correlates strongly with OCB (r_c = .43). The implications of these findings for human resources practice, such as competency modeling, employee selection and training, organizational rewards, and employee‐employer/supervisor relations, are discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Exploring Organizationally Directed Citizenship Behaviour: Reciprocity or ‘It's my Job’?*

ABSTRACT This study sets out to examine two explanations for why employees engage in organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB). The first explanation views OCB as a form of reciprocation where employees engage in OCB to reciprocate fair or good treatment from the organization. The second view is that employees engage in OCB because they define those behaviours as part of their job. The research methodology consisted of survey data from 387 hospital employees on their perceptions of procedural and interactional justice, mutual commitment, job breadth and OCB. The results suggest that procedural and interactional justice are positively associated with mutual commitment that in turn, is related directly to OCB and indirectly through expanding the boundaries of an individual's job. These findings suggest that together the reciprocation thesis and ‘it's my job’ argument complement each other and provide a more complete foundation for our understanding of OCB. The difference between the two perspectives lies in the process by which individuals respond; that is, role enlargement and role maintenance. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

Collective Dynamics of Citizenship Behaviour: What Group Characteristics Promote Group‐Level Helping?

A basic tenet of research on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) is that OCB aggregated across individuals improves organizational performance. Departing from the typical focus on individual-level OCB, the construct of group-level OCB (GOCB) recently emerged as a critical group function that affects various group effectiveness measures. Despite the clear link between GOCB and team performance, the existing literature provides a limited understanding with regard to the antecedents of GOCB, mostly focusing on leadership variables. Establishing helping behaviour (a core dimension of OCB) as a collective construct, this study substantially expands the antecedents of group-level helping, and empirically tests their effects using three different operationalizations of group-level helping. The results, based on a sample of 96 work units, show that membership diversity in gender and education decreased group-level helping, whereas diversity in tenure increased it. Group-level helping was also positively related to leadership characteristics (supportive unit manager, transformational top management) and perceived competence of unit members. In addition, the analysis further indicated that perceived competence is a positive predictor of group-level helping only when the unit members also believe that others are trustworthy in terms of integrity and benevolent motivation. From a methodological standpoint, the study provides important insights by comparing different ways of operationalizing collective constructs.     

Leader–Member Exchange and Relational Quality in a Singapore Public Sector Organization

An objective of Singapore’s ongoing public sector reform (PS21) requires agencies to focus on getting the best out of its employees. One way of doing this is by creating a positive leader–member exchange (LMX) relationship, enabling supervisors to motivate their subordinates towards the development of organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs). This article reports the extent of LMX and relational quality in a public sector agency experiencing PS21 reform and high staff turnover. In addition, we examined the effects of organizational justice perceptions and job satisfaction towards a subordinates’ OCB. A path model was developed to examine the relationships between LMX, organizational justice, job satisfaction, and OCB and tested by applying LMX theory. The path analysis results showed that LMX mediates the relationship between organizational justice perceptions and OCB. The results also showed that one’s job satisfaction led to higher level of OCB. The study findings have implications for theory and practice which have been presented in the discussion section.     

The impact of employee perceptions of organizational corporate social responsibility practices on job performance and organizational citizenship behavior: evidence from the Chinese private sector

This paper examines the impact of employee perceptions of organizational corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on their job performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Hierarchical regression analysis on two-wave data from 184 supervisor/subordinate dyads from three organizations located in Zhejiang Province, South-East China, revealed that employee perceptions of CSR toward social and non-social stakeholders strongly influenced their OCB. However, employee perceptions of CSR toward employees, customers and government influenced neither their job performance nor OCB.