The degree of spuriousness within the job satisfaction-organizational citizenship behavior relationship

Abstract

Overwhelming evidence suggests that job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) are positively related. Although researchers have generally assumed that satisfaction has a genuine relationship with OCB, we argue that the satisfaction–OCB relationship may be largely spurious. We tested the degree of spuriousness within the satisfaction–OCB relationship in two studies—a meta-analysis (Study 1) and a two-wave primary study (N = 420; Study 2). In both studies, we examined the strength of the satisfaction–OCB relationship after controlling for environmental variables (i.e., job characteristics, job stressors, and leader behaviors) and personality variables (i.e., five factor model characteristics and core self-evaluations). Across the two studies, we observed several instances in which the satisfaction–OCB relationship was significantly weaker after we controlled for a third variable, but a meaningful relationship was still present. And in some instances, the satisfaction–OCB relationship was rendered statistically nonsignificant or practically nonsignificant once controls were included. These findings suggest that satisfaction and OCB is at least partially spurious.