Change-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors: the direct and moderating influence of goal orientation

Abstract

Organizational learning in a retail setting relies on the motivation of boundary-spanning retail associates to identify and implement organizationally functional changes with respect to work methods, policies, and procedures within the context of their jobs, stores, or organizations-referred to as change-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). A theoretical model of situation and person antecedents of change-oriented OCBs is developed and tested with a sample of 183 full-time boundary-spanning employees of a national retail sales organization. The results reveal that learning goal orientation and leader-member exchange quality are direct positive antecedents of these behaviors. The results also demonstrate interesting Person × Situation interactions. Direct relationships between transformational or contingent reward leadership behaviors and change-oriented OCBs are moderated by employee performance goal orientation. A positive relationship between organizational commitment and change-oriented OCBs is moderated by employee learning goal orientation. Contingent reward leadership and transformational leadership behaviors also have indirect positive relationships with change-oriented OCBs via leader-member exchange quality.