The Effects of Leader-Member Exchange on Employee Conceptualizations and Displays of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour: A Mediational Model

Abstract

<p>The literature on how employees conceptualize organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) has not been well integrated. Research on employee conceptualizations of OCB is comprehensively reviewed and a model is proposed linking leader-member exchange (LMX), employee conceptualizations of OCB and supervisory ratings of OCB. I found support for the discriminant validity of three key facets of how employees conceptualize OCB: perceived role breadth, perceived instrumentality of OCB and perceived leader expectations for OCB. These facet conceptualizations mediated the relationship between LMX and OCB. My findings challenge past practices of blurring distinctions among facets of employee conceptualizations of OCB and provide new insights into the process by which LMX influences OCB. Implications for research and for practice are discussed.</p>