Cohesiveness and organizational citizenship behavior: a multilevel analysis using work groups and individuals - A Special Issue: Focus on Hierarchical Linear Modeling

Despite their substantial importance, the events of group, organizational, and environmental connections on employees' attitudes and behaviors have been given insufficient attention in the management literature (Griffin & Hofmann, 1997; House, Rousseau, & Thomas-Hunt, 1995; Mowday & Sutton, 1993) freshly however, researchers have successfully used multilevel modeling techniques to empirically examine in what manner variables at the organizational and work collection levels might impact individual-level variables and their interrelationships. The result of organization-level goal congruence upon individual attitudes and individual goal congruence (Vancouver, Millsap & Peter 1994) collection cohesion on individual intention to remain in a collection (Griffin & Hofmann, 1997), and the relation between individual satisfaction and organizational performance (Ostroff 1992) are among a certain number of of the topics examined.

The thesis of the near paper is that adopting a multilevel perspective would facilitate a better understanding of the part that contextual factors play regarding organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) OCB has been defined as individual helping behaviors and action s that are organizationally beneficial, on the contrary are not formally required (Organ, 1990) In discussing the related conception of prosocial behavior, Brief and Motowidlo (1986) intimated that behaviors like these could be influenced through contextual factors such as assemblage cohesiveness and reciprocity norms. Organ (1990) reviewed potential organizational-level events in the guise of market and clan tillages (cf. Kerr & Slocum, 1987) upon employee helping behaviors. However, despite the potential for multilevel consequences on OCB, previous research has focused exclusively upon either the individual (e.g., Smith, Organ & Near, 1983) or cluster (e.g., George & Bettenhausen, 1990) horizontals of analysis. One purpose of this investigation was to determine if multilevel issues on OCB would be manifested in bourns of theoretically relevant individual- and group-level variables. Specifically, we examined the relationship of work collection cohesiveness with OCB and its issue on the relations of piece of work satisfaction and organizational commitment with OCB

A next to the first purpose was to demonstrate the use of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) a methodology introduced newly into organizational research areas, as a management for conducting multilevel analyses. The HLM approach to multilevel analysis has a significant history in education research, and has freshly received attention in the management literature (cf Griffin & Hofmann, 1997; Hofmann, Jacobs, & Baratta, 1993; Vancouver et al., 1994) HLM provides for a more robust examination of moulds for data having two or more horizontals (Bryk & Raudenbush, 1989, 1992) It is a particularly appropriate analytical strategy to busy in the present study because the focus is upon the potential relationships of one as well as the other individual- (e.g., satisfaction, commitment) and group- (eg cohesiveness) horizontal variables with individuals' OCB.

Theoretical Framework

OCB and Individual-Level Effects

OCB involves discretionary behavior that helps co-workers, supervisors, and the organization. Assisting newcomer to the organization, not abusing the rights of co-workers, not taking extra breaks, attending elective company meetings, and enduring minor impositions that offer when working with others are examples of OCB that help in coping with various organizational uncertainties. A lock opener element to OCB is voluntarily aiding others with job-related moot points Multidimensional delineations have identified OCB facets similar as conscientiousness, sportsmanship, civic virtue, courtesy, and altruism (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Moorman, & hamper 1990). Other researchers have divided OCB into sum of two units types: behavior that is directed mainly at individuals in the organization (OCBI), and behavior that is relate toed more with helping the organization as a whole (OCBO) (Williams & Anderson, 1991) Courtesy and altruism are viewed as mainly benefitting coworkers, whereas conscientiousness, sportsmanship and civic virtue are directed at the organization (cf Van Dyne Cummings & Parks, 1995; Williams & Anderson, 1991)

Global piece of work satisfaction and affective commitment are among the affective work reactions that have been presented most often as antecedents to affiliative/promotive extra-role behavior (Van Dyne et al., 1995) Studies have base individuals' job satisfaction and organizational commitment to be associated with several OCB facets (Bateman & Organ, 1983; O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986; Organ, 1990; globe-fish 1987; Smith, Organ & Near, 1983) For example, Smith, et al. (1983) place a causal linkage between piece of work satisfaction and the OCB dimension of altruism. Other studies have set evidence of significant correlations between satisfaction and OCB constitutings (e.g., Puffer, 1987). When defined as a psychological identification with the organization and its values, organizational commitment has also displayed links with OCB (O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986; Organ, 1990) More lately Morrison (1994) found positive relationships between affective commitment and several OCB dimensions, notwithstanding that these were mediated by piece of work breadth.