Impact of organizational citizenship behavior on organizational performance: A review and suggestions for future research

Despite the widespread interest in the topic of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), little empirical research has tested the fundamental assumption that these forms of behavior improve the effectiveness of work groups or organizations. This article examines the assumption that OCBs improve the effectiveness of work groups or organizations in which they are exhibited. First, several theoretical/conceptual explanations of why OCBs may improve organizational effectiveness are provided. Following this, a review of the available empirical evidence is provided. The results of this review indicate that OCBs make important contributions to the variance in organizational effectiveness, although helping behavior tends to have more systematic effects than either sportsmanship or civic virtue. Finally, the implications of these findings for future research are discussed.