Employee Life Satisfaction and Social‐Capital Factors Relating to Organizational Citizenship

Abstract

This study examines whether life satisfaction could influence social-capital factors of interest to managers looking for pro-social employees willing to do extra work and willing to help contribute to a positive environment. Employee data were analyzed (n = 7134) from the 2006 Social Capital Community Survey (SCCS) to analyze the role life satisfaction plays in influencing active pro-social work behavior in employees. Regression analysis results showed that employees with greater life satisfaction engage in more organizational citizenship behavior, feel calmer and less emotionally exhausted at the end of the day, are more likely to trust their coworkers, are more likely to be members of a neighborhood association or work on a community project, and are more likely to participate and volunteer. The degree of employees' life satisfaction was shown to influence their active orientation towards work due to their greater social-capital proclivities, which reflect organizational citizenship behavior.