PurposeThe objective of this paper is to employ a model to expand the literature's comprehension of the organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) phenomenon in the Indian banking sector. The authors examine OCB as a mediator of the relationship between job embeddedness (JE), self-efficacy (SE) and organisation effectiveness (OE). The authors also verify the moderating role of affective commitment (AC) on the JE, SE and OE relationship.Design/methodology/approachData for the purpose of this paper are collected from 568 employees in 89 branches of banks located in North and Central India using a survey questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).FindingsThe findings confirm the positive association between JE, SE and OE. The results also suggest that OCB mediates the association between the independent and dependent variables. Furthermore, the authors observed that AC moderates the OCB and OE relationship.Practical implicationsThe results of this examination will assist the employees to realise the substance of OCB in directing their performance towards OE. This investigation will inspire bank managers to notice that employee readiness to put in extra effort in a bank is primarily the effect of apt individual characteristics, namely JE and SE, that can be shaped and developed. Furthermore, this study draws the attention of bank managers towards the significance of AC, as an essential phenomenon to emotionally attach the employees to their organisation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature on OCB by examining how OCB leads to desired outcomes and the conditions that promote the effect of OCB. The authors address these questions by building on a more contemporary perspective, i.e., PsyCap.