We all know someone at work who seems to be present as much for others as for herself. This person is always ready to help, is very patient and friendly. Does she do so because she truly wants to help others or because she feels compelled to it? When an employee is experiencing work overload the difference is important, since according to her motivations, the person will react differently, affecting her level of commitment and performance. But how exactly?
This is what Kumar et al. (2019) investigate in an article in which they aim to understand how work overload and allocentrism (the tendency to put the collective before the individual) impacts organizational citizenship behaviors.
Legend: Recommendation of our expert
Expert advisor:
- Shamala KUMAR, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sri Lanka.
Authors:
- Étienne FOUQUET, research assistant, Université de Sherbrooke
Marie-Élise LABRECQUE, research professional, Université de Sherbrooke
This initiative was made possible through a collaboration with the Université de Sherbrooke.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY:
Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB)
These are behaviors that are not formally expected in the context of employment, in which a person commits without expecting a formal reward.
Researchers differentiate OCBs into two categories, depending on who benefits from the behaviors:
- OCBIs are behaviors directed towards an individual;
- OCBOs are behaviors directed towards an organization.
Allocentrism
This is the tendency to put the group before the individual. People with a higher allocentrism bias may feel greater pressure to engage in OCBs at work.
Work overload
Extensive work schedule combined with overwhelming responsibilities.
Method
Country: Sri LankaNumber of participants: 300
Mean age: 36 years
Number of women: 107
Recruitment of participants:
A stratified random sampling method, using strata based on sex, position and university, was used to select participants. Participants were individually contacted, and appointments were made with one of the researchers.
Method used:
The study was conducted at three State Universities in Sri Lanka with teaching and administrative staff. Self-reported questionnaires were administered to participants.
What are the findings of the study?
From the study, it is possible to highlight two main conclusions:
-
Work overload is related to OCBO, but not to OCBI
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