Social Network Ties and Organizational Citizenship Behavior:Evidence of a Curvilinear Relationship

Abstract

We examine the relationships between employee expressive (friendship) and instrumental (advice) network centrality and employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Based on social exchange theory, we argue that centrality within the workplace friendship network will be positively and linearly related to employee OCB. Further, we draw on conservation of resources (COR) theory to predict a curvilinear (inverse U) relationship between employees’ advice network centrality and OCB such that employees will engage in higher levels of OCB at moderate levels of advice centrality than at low and high levels. The theoretical model is tested in an academic setting (using other reports of network ties and employee ratings of OCB) and a US-based organization (using dyadic responses from employees and their supervisors). The results support for the curvilinear relationship between advice tie centrality and OCB in both studies and support for the linear relationship between friendship centrality and OCB in Study 2. Practical implications and directions for future research are addressed.