ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR AND PERFORMANCE OF NURSES IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF TERTIARY HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN BENUE STATE

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigates the effect of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on the performance of nurses in the public health sector in Benue State, Nigeria, with a particular focus on nurses in the tertiary healthcare facilities in Benue State. The specific objectives of this study were to examine, evaluate, ascertain, determine, and establish the effect of altruism, civic virtue, conscientiousness, courtesy, and sportsmanship on the task and contextual performance of nurses in tertiary healthcare facilities in Benue State, Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopts and uses a descriptive research design using a survey method. The study population comprised 587 nurses from Benue State University Teaching Hospital Makurdi (BSUTH) and Federal Medical Centre Makurdi (FMC). The study used Taro Yamene’s formula to determine a sample size of 238 nurses. 238 questionnaires were issued out to nurses, of which 221 were usable and returned for analysis. Data were statistically analyzed after being collected from the field using Multiple Regression Analysis as the main statistical tool with the aid of SPSS to explain the relationship between variables under study. Findings: The findings from this study indicated that there was actually an established effect of all the dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior on the task and contextual performance of nurses working in tertiary healthcare facilities in Benue State, Nigeria. Originality/Value: The study revealed that all the OCB constructs examined significantly positively affect the task and contextual performance of nurses working in tertiary healthcare facilities in Benue State, Nigeria. Part of the recommendations made is that the management of tertiary healthcare facilities in Benue State should do everything possible to create a working environment that will motivate nurses to engage in citizenship behaviors since it has been scholarly proven that citizenship behaviors positively affect task and contextual performance of nurses working in tertiary healthcare facilities.