Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB)

Most employees understand that their primary duty is to do the work that is assigned to them, stay away from behaviours that could be deemed troublesome, and deliver work that is acceptable and beneficial to the organisation.

‘Organisational citizenship behaviour’ deals with the actions and behaviours that are not required by workers. They are not critical to the job, but benefit the team and encourage even greater organisational functioning and efficiency.

This is typically categorised as a worker ‘going above and beyond’, or ‘giving their all’. They look at their job as more than just a paycheck and strive to do all they can to make their work environment run smoothly; even if it has a minimal connection to their current duties. Usually, these behaviours are seen as positive by managers and business leaders, and the importance and impact of these behaviours should be noted.

According to a study done in Procedia Economics and Finance, researchers found a correlation between the organisation’s age and three primary principles: altruism, courtesy, and conscientiousness.

These personality characteristics were cited as having a high link to an employee’s tendency to engage in OCB. These behaviours were also tied to job satisfaction, justice, transformational leadership, and organisational support. OCB has also been shown to be vital for employee retention.

What are the upsides to Organisational Citizenship Behaviour?

• A sense of purpose

Workers feel a more significant sense of purpose and work meaningfulness. This means that employees feel their work is essential and useful to the company.

• Feeling in control

Organisational Citizenship Behaviour allows employees to feel they have greater control over the work they do, and how they do it. Workers get the opportunity to decide what they want to put more time into and how they want to accomplish it.

• A renewed sense of vigour

When employees feel they are doing good for others or think that they are engaging in work that means something, it prevents feelings of burnout. Employees can become re-energised and have a new sense of purpose so they can continue to do work that furthers company goals.

• Clear up role ambiguity

If a job has not been defined by superiors, leaders can use this as an opportunity to make the employee’s position fit with work goals and add in elements that encourage Organisational Citizenship Behaviour. As time goes by, roles need to be redefined or changed to reflect a worker’s skill set better. If leaders are savvy they can work with employees to work in OCB elements.

• Increased job performance

A 2014 study revealed that Organisational Citizenship Behaviour led to more significant job performance which leads to high-quality work and increased productivity for employers. It also came with the bonus of higher interpersonal relationships, a reduction in conflict, and lower time costs.

• Engage early-career workers

The same study also showed that workers who did not have a lot of work experience (but had high amounts of intelligence) were open to jumping into Organisational Citizenship Behaviour. They were not set in their ways and were looking for ways to become engaged in the organisation. Encouraging them to get involved in other ways that promote OCB is a good idea.

Potential disadvantages?

There are not many disadvantages cited for OCB. The consensus by many sources is that these behaviours benefit the organisation and the employees. However, there was a 2007 research study that examined the effects of organisations that incorporate a formal way of dealing with OCB, and those that include an employee’s engagement in OCB as part of performance appraisals and job reviews. Two primary issues could arise. 

The first is that employees might miss out on the behaviours. Many times, employees engage in actions or duties that are not always witnessed by influencers or leaders making decisions. If employees are assessed on these other behaviours, then this can be problematic. The other issue is that a greater emphasis on Organisational Citizenship Behaviour can cause employees to experience job-related stress and work-life balance issues. Behaviours that were considered voluntary and are now mandated to become a part of the position takes away the aspect of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour that can increase engagement.