Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) extend beyond the formal scope of a job and are aimed at helping an organization or its workers. On the other hand, counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) are aimed at hurting an organization or its employees. These are two of the hottest topics in the academic literature right now. However, most of the research focuses on comparing different people on these dimensions, assuming that a person’s average level of these behaviors provides adequate information to understand workplace dynamics. However, a new research article (Dalal et al., 2009) aims to change the paradigm.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
In this article, the researchers evaluated within-person effects, meaning that study participants were evaluated against themselves rather than against others. Said another way, the researchers wanted to measure the extent to which individual employees vary the amount of OCBs or CWBs they perform from day-to-day. This is different from previous studies, which measured how employees are different from each other, based on the typical amount of OCBs or CWBs they each perform. In addition, the researchers measured affect, meaning mood, as a precursor to OCBs and CWBs. Job performance was also measured.
Overall, the researchers found that affect predicted work behavior, and over time, there was a lot of variability within individual people for both their OCB and CWB levels. Notably, levels of CWB were particularly variable. Also, OCBs and CWBs were related but were not two ends of the same spectrum. In sum, mood determines workers’ positive and negative behaviors on the job, but the relationship isn’t one-size-fits-all.
THE BOTTOM LINE
What does this mean for researchers and organizations who are trying to understand OCBs and CWBs? It means that if we are looking at differences between individuals, we aren’t getting the whole story about predicting behavior. Instead, this study makes the case that it is important to understand the variation or fluctuation in each person’s behavior on a day-to-day basis.
Dalal, R. S., Lam, H., Weiss, H. M., Welch, E. R., & Hulin, C. L. (2009). A within-person approach to work behavior and performance: concurrent and lagged citizenship-counterproductivity associations, and dynamic relationships with affect and overall job performance. Academy of Management Journal, 52, 1051-1066.
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