Transformational Leadership On Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Its Mediational Pathway

Abstract

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is an extra-role behavior that is known to increase an organization’s success and effectiveness, while transformational leadership has been found to increase employees’ OCB. However, factors and processes on how transformational leadership may increase employees’ OCB are seldom discussed in the literature. Few researchers pointed out this mixed evidence on the underlying mediators within the relationship between transformational leadership and OCB. Hence, the purpose of this research is to understand the effect of transformational leadership on employees’ OCB by investigating trust in leader, self-efficacy, and affective commitment as mediators between the two. Two hundred and five full-time working adults (Male = 74, Female = 131; Mage = 29.01) in Malaysia participated in the study. Using regression and mediation analyses, results showed that there is a significant relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ OCB. Findings also indicate that trust in leader and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and affective commitment. Affective commitment also mediates trust in leader and self-efficacy and OCB. This implies that transformational leadership is effective in nurturing employees’ OCB in Malaysia. This study may further expand to include other leadership styles that are motivating, such as empowering leadership on its mediational pathway in motivating employees.