Whether task satisfaction mediates the effect of fair procedures on citizenship

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the large number of empirical studies on employee attitudes and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), the amount of research on the possible role of concurrent fairness and satisfaction in citizenship behaviors (OCBs) has been quite limited. Since it has been suggested that fair systems in an organization could indicate satisfaction, the purpose of this study is to propose using task satisfaction as a mediating variable in the relationship between procedural justice (PJ) and citizenship OC behaviors directed at the organization as a whole (OCBOs).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a sample of non‐teaching staff at a university, and structural equation modeling was to be used for testing the relationships. The author argues that when organizational procedures are fairly implemented, they may lead employees to feeling happier about their tasks. Ths task satisfaction, in turn, would create a context prone to encouraging employees' compliance with the organization (conscientiousness) and active interest (civic virtue) in it, as well as tolerance to less than ideal circumstances (sportsmanship). The author suggests that it is in this satisfactory context where citizenship behaviors helping the organization (OCBOs) really occur.

Findings

Sequential χ² difference test results indicated that PJ positively influenced task satisfaction and had a positive effect on citizenship directed at the organization (OCBOs) through its effect on employee task satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The study could suffer from mono‐method/source bias, and the university that supplied the sample has certain job conditions similar to those found in the public sector, thus raising concerns about the generalizability of the results.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that the scenario presented in our study leads to new and better understanding of how to promote citizenship directed at the organization (OCBOs). Since PJ predicts citizenship behaviors by eliciting task satisfaction, preparing the workplace with actions designed to “gain” task satisfaction, promote a fair system, and provide fair ways to establish tasks appears to be an efficient satisfaction‐producing strategy in promoting citizenship behaviors (OCBs).

Originality/value

Although fairness and satisfaction have been found to be significant attitudinal predictors of OCBs, no previous empirical studies have examined and supported the mediating role task satisfaction plays in explaining why PJ is able to predict citizenship behaviors directed at the organization (OCBOs).

Citation

Zoghbi‐Manrique‐de‐Lara, P. (2011), "Whether task satisfaction mediates the effect of fair procedures on citizenship", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 222-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/19348831111149187