Social well-being, job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour and intentions to leave in a utility organisation

Abstract

social elements of work, and the organisation in which employees are their well-being, and retention secure Social well-being can be linked to the self-determination theory Orientation: Employee social well-being is likely to influence individual and organisational outcomes, especially in African countries where a high premium is often placed on one’s personhood being rooted in one’s relations with others. Research purpose: This study investigated the associations between social well-being, job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour and intentions to leave in a South African utility organisation. Motivation for the study: Given the history of relationships amongst diverse people in South Africa, social well-being seems to be a critical component of the overall well-being of employees. However, few studies in South Africa have focused on social well-being in organisational contexts. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used, targeting permanent employees in a South African utility organisation. Consenting participants ( N = 403) completed previously validated measures of social well-being, job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour and intentions to leave. Structural equation modelling was performed to test hypotheses. Main findings: Social well-being was positively associated with job satisfaction and organisational citizenship behaviour and negatively associated with intentions to leave. Social well-being indirectly affected organisational citizenship behaviour and intention to leave through job (dis)satisfaction. Practical/managerial implications: Managers and human resources practitioners are alerted to practical ways of sustaining employees’ social well-being such as by implementing tailor-made policies that support social aspects of well-being and by ensuring the alignment of well-being programmes with changing circumstances in the modern world of work. Originality/value-add: This study illuminated social well-being associations with selected outcomes in a developing African country workplace context. Social acceptance (the acceptance of the diversity of colleagues), actualisation (the belief in one’s organisation, team and colleagues’ potential), coherence (the belief that one’s organisation and social relations at work are both meaningful and comprehensible), contribution (the belief that one’s daily work tasks add value to one’s team, department, and organisation) and integration (the belief that one experiences a sense of communal connectedness and belongingness).