Organizational citizenship behavior in civil society workplaces

Abstract

Organizational citizenship behavior is argued to be particularly important to civil society organizations (Akhtar, Hakeem, & Naeem, 2017). However, organizational citizenship behavior needs further theoretically driven research in the civil society sector, which is the overarching aim of this study which compared two competing models of organizational citizenship behavior within the New Zealand's civil society sector: Organ (1988) and Williams and Anderson (1991) models. Participants were N = 442 employees from 217 civil society organizations in New Zealand. Confirmatory factor analysis tested these two competing measurement models of organizational citizenship behavior. Results suggested employees of civil society organizations tended to perform citizenship behavior in accordance with Organ (1988) structured five‐factor model, independent of their organization. Results are discussed, with a focus on why employees working in New Zealand's civil society sector seem to be more likely to perform Organ (1988) model of organizational citizenship behavior, and practical implications presented.