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Perceptions of Organizational Politics and Employee Citizenship Behaviors: Conscientiousness and Self-monitoring as Moderators

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the joint moderating effects of employees’ conscientiousness and self-monitoring on the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics and organizational citizenship behaviors.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Data were collected from 139 subordinate–supervisor dyads through networks of business contacts and university alums of a university in the Midwest US.

Findings

We found a significant three-way interaction between perceived politics, conscientiousness, and self-monitoring in predicting citizenship behaviors. High self-monitoring alleviated the negative effects of politics perceptions on the OCB of highly conscientious employees. Conversely, perceived politics was negatively related to the OCB of employees who reported having either low self-monitoring and high conscientiousness or high self-monitoring and low conscientiousness.

Implications

Our results advance the theoretical understanding of the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics and citizenship behaviors by integrating the occupational stress perspective with social exchange theory within the socio-analytic framework. Evidence suggests that employees with certain combinations of traits (e.g., low self-monitoring and high conscientiousness or high self-monitoring and low conscientiousness) were particularly susceptible to the negative effects of perceived politics. This knowledge may help practitioners identify training needs or motivational strategies to help alleviate the negative effects of perceived politics on employee citizenship behaviors.

Originality/Value

This study is one of the few that took a holistic person-oriented approach when examining the moderating effects of individual traits on the linkages between perceived politics and citizenship behaviors. In addition, we utilized supervisor ratings of citizenship behaviors to overcome concerns associated with common source bias.

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Notes

  1. We also examined the hypothesized effects with an overall OCB score, and the results were nearly identical to when OCBI and OCBO were treated as separate dimensions of OCB. The detailed results for the overall OCB analysis can be obtained from the first author.

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Acknowledgment

An earlier version of the paper was presented at the 2008 Southern Management Association Meeting.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, 346 Psychology Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Chu-Hsiang Chang

  2. Department of Management, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA

    Christopher C. Rosen

  3. Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, IL, USA

    Gina M. Siemieniec

  4. Department of Management, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Russell E. Johnson

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  1. Chu-Hsiang Chang
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  2. Christopher C. Rosen
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  3. Gina M. Siemieniec
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  4. Russell E. Johnson
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Correspondence to Chu-Hsiang Chang.

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Chang, CH., Rosen, C.C., Siemieniec, G.M. et al. Perceptions of Organizational Politics and Employee Citizenship Behaviors: Conscientiousness and Self-monitoring as Moderators. J Bus Psychol 27, 395–406 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-012-9257-6

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