Attributions of Managerial Decisions, Emotions, and OCB. The Moderating Role of Ethical Climate and Self-Enhancement

Abstract

In this study, we examined the relationships between employees’ negative internal attributions of their supervisors’ workplace decisions and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as mediated by adverse emotions. The present research also explores the moderating role of organizational ethical climate (OEC) and self-enhancement in OCB. Following two studies conducted on participants recruited from industry, we suggest a nuanced insight into employees’ inferences regarding their supervisors’ decisions in predicting their OCB. The current research addresses this notion by implementing the conceptualization of the attribution-affect-action model, by showing that higher levels of unfavorable internal attributions are associated with higher levels of negative workplace emotions, and that higher levels of negative emotions predict lesser OCB. Additionally, we uncover the way perceived organizational ethical climate moderates the obtained indirect relationship. The relationship between employees’ attributions and reported OCB is attenuated under high levels of egoism- and principle-based OEC (Study 1). Further, our findings show that the effect of OEC on OCB diminishes under high levels of negative attributions (Studies 1 & 2) and that the effect of principle-based OEC on OCB is mitigated given high levels of self-enhancement (Study 2). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.