How, Why, and When High-Involvement Work Systems Are Related to OCB: A Multilevel Examination of the Mediating Role of POS and of the Moderating Role of Organizational Structures

Abstract

Drawing on signaling and social exchange theories, we proposed and tested a multilevel model of antecedents of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). More specifically, this article examines how, why, and when high-involvement work systems (HIWS) are related to employee and team citizenship behaviors. Using a sample of 568 respondents in 46 teams, our results indicate that HIWS are directly and indirectly related to team-level OCB through the team perceived organizational support (POS) climate. Structure was found to act as a significant internal contextual factor. More specifically, we found that decentralization and formalization foster the positive link between HIWS and POS, while the indirect relationship between HIWS and team-level OCB through POS was weaker when the degree of formalization was low, and stronger when this structure element was high. Finally, consistent with Ehrhart and Naumann’s group norms theory of OCB, team-level OCB was positively related to employee OCB, regardless of whether task interdependence is high or low. This study contributes to the understanding of processes and contextual conditions through which teams and employee citizenship behavior are related to HIWS.