Interaction role of work engagement and ethic on the relationship between personal resources and organizational citizenship behaviour among managers in state corporations in Kenya

Abstract

Organizational citizenship behaviour, Work engagement and positive Work ethic have gained prominence as emerging work behaviours that improve individual and organizational performance. However, debate is raging on the factors that drive the behaviours. Researchers have focused on organizational causes ignoring individual employees’ characteristics. Besides, these work phenomena are rarely discussed in the African context and Kenya in particular. This study examined three psychological and emotional skills as determinants of Work engagement and Organizational citizenship behaviour. A new approach of the effect of Work engagement and Work ethic on Organizational citizenship behaviour was also explored. The study was informed by Self-determination; Broaden-and-built and Social exchange theories. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Thirty eight State Corporations were selected using stratified and systematic sampling procedure. Approximately 14,363 middle-level Managers constituted the target population from which 389 respondents were proportionately sampled and issued with self-administered questionnaires to obtain data. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Exploratory Factor analysis was utilized to validate and construct indices. The reliability of data was ascertained by setting Cronbach Alpha values limits at ≥0.50. Variable correlation was derived using Pearson product moment correlation. Hierarchical regression was used to examine relationships and interaction among the study variables and to test the hypotheses at α =0.01. The findings from hierarchical regression indicate the elements of Personal resources except Optimism positively and significantly correlate and predict Organizational citizenship behaviour and Work engagement. Organizational-based self-esteem prediction was significant at β=0.162(p<0.01); Self-efficacy at β=0.115(p< 0.01); Work engagement and Work ethic were also statistically significant at β=0.16 (p<0.01) and β=0.25 (p=0.254) respectively. Work engagement partially mediated the relationship between Personal resources and Organizational citizenship behaviours; however, the mediation process was not moderated by Work ethic. This study demonstrated that employees’ positive psychological and emotional skills drive positive work behaviour. Organizations should identify, cultivate and uphold employees’ positive psychological and emotional skills to enhance positive work behaviour at the work place so as to improve individual and organizational performance. Further studies on same variables among none managerial employees is recommended. A longitudinal qualitative design may yield more insight on positive work behaviour regardless of the target group. Optimism and Work ethic remain important concepts worth further investigation for deeper understanding of work place behaviour practices. Moderated mediation and related models are new approaches worth being used to understand complex phenomena prevalent in social science; this has been made possible with the development of user friendly data analysis tools such as PROCESS Macro.