Organizational Citizenship Behavior and the Environment: An Extension on the Different Forms of OCB Jennifer Robertson and Julian Barling, Queen’s University

Awareness and importance of the issue has escalated dramatically in the past decade Now capturing the attention of the broad research community  AOM activities  APA task force on global climate change  APA presidential address in 2009

First need to locate our efforts to understand sustainable organizational behavior in a theoretical framework Numerous theoretical opportunities and different approaches will proliferate early on We choose to locate our conceptualization within organizational citizenship behavior  “Individual behavior that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system, and that in the aggregate promotes the effective functioning of the organization” (Organ, 1988, p. 4).

Dimensionality of OCB 30 different forms of OCB (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine & Bachrach, 2000) Two dimensions: altruism and compliance (Smith et al., 1983) Five dimensions: altruism, courtesy, sportsmanship, conscientiousness and civic virtue (Organ, 1988) Broad classification: OCBO and OCBI (Williams & Anderson, 1991)  Most parsimonious and most widely used

OCB and the Environment Consistent with Boiral (2009)  OCB framework applies to employee’s pro- environmental behaviors  Employee pro- environmental behavior is voluntary  Pro-environmental behaviors not linked to formal reward system  Combination of pro-environmental behaviors impacts environmental performance

OCB and the Environment OCB “Individual behavior that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system, and that in the aggregate promotes the effective functioning of the organization” (Organ, 1988, p. 4). Environmental OCB “Individual and discretionary social behaviors not explicitly recognized by the formal reward system and contributing to improve the effectiveness of environmental management of organizations” (Boiral, 2009, p. 223) Our definition “individual behavior that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system but directly benefits the natural environment and indirectly benefits the individual and the organization”

Purpose of Study Empirically locate employees’ pro-environmental behaviors within OCB framework OCBO and OCBI dimensions (Williams & Anderson, 1991) OCBE

Participants and Procedure Sample: 220 employed adults in the US & elsewhere Recruitment: StudyResponse Project Online Survey

Method Step 1 Reliability of items Delete those that reduce reliability Step 2 Construct Validity CFA Three factor model vs. two and one factor models Step 3 Predictive Validity Correlate three OCBs with different variables Common correlate

OCB-E: Seven Items I actively seek environmental information that could be useful to the organization. I promote the use of green technology at my organization. I help coworkers become environmentally friendly (e.g. show them where recycling facilities are, how to print double sided). I take part in environmentally friendly programs (e.g. bike/walk to work day, bring your own local lunch day). I make suggestions about environmentally friendly practices to managers and/or environmental committees, in an effort to increase my organization’s environmental performance. I encourage other employees to think about their environmental impact and how they can reduce it. I share knowledge, informational and suggestions on pro- environmental behaviors/policies with others at work.

Tests for construct validity Compared three different factor structures using confirmatory factor analysis One factor model Two factor with OCB-I and OCB-O loading as one factor, and OCB-E as a separate factor Three factor model, with OCB-I, OCB-O and OCB-E as separate factors Assessed convergent and divergent validity

RESULTS OF THE CFA χ2χ2dfΧ2/dfRMSEANFICFI 3 factor factor factor1,

CONVERGENT & DIVERGENT VALIDITY OCBIOCBOOCBE Pro-social values Organizational concern Environmental passion Transformational leadership

Conclusion Initial results support the reliable and valid nature of OCB-E; replications awaited Need to build the full nomonological network of OCB-E  Focus on antecedents, outcomes, mediators and moderators

Thank you!

OCBE items I print double sided whenever possible. I put compostable items in the compost bin. I put recyclable material (e.g. cans, paper, bottles, batteries) in the recycling bins. I actively seek environmental information that could be useful to the organization. I promote the use of green technology at my organization. I help coworkers become environmentally friendly (e.g. show them where recycling facilities are, how to print double sided). I bring reusable eating utensils to work (e.g. travel coffee mug, water bottle, reusable containers, reusable cutlery). I turn lights off when not in use. I take part in environmentally friendly programs (e.g. bike/walk to work day, bring your own local lunch day). I make suggestions about environmentally friendly practices to managers and/or environmental committees, in an effort to increase my organization’s environmental performance. I encourage other employees to think about their environmental impact and how they can reduce it. I share knowledge, informational and suggestions on pro-environmental behaviors/policies with others at work.

Environmental Passion Scale I am passionate about the environment. I enjoy engaging in environmentally friendly behaviors. I take pride in helping the environment. I enthusiastically discuss environmental issues with others. I get pleasure from taking care of the environment. I passionately encourage others to be more environmentally responsible. I am or have been a volunteered member of an environmental group. I have voluntarily donated time or money to help the environment in some way. I feel strongly about my environmental values.