Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is an employee’s voluntary activity that promotes the organization but is not part of their job description or compensation system. OCB includes good sportsmanship, involvement in company activities, and personal initiative. It is often indirectly rewarded due to the employee’s commitment and proficiency. Some dispute the validity of OCB due to the changing nature of job structures.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is a discretionary employee activity that is not explicitly part of the job description and tends to promote the organization. This behavior is also not part of the official rewards and compensation system. The term was first defined by Dennis Orgon in 1988. It is not a fully defined concept by nature, although an employee who embodies OCB qualities is often easy to recognise.
While an employee who engages in OCB may not be specifically recognized for such actions, such behavior will often be rewarded indirectly. This is in part because employees who practice OCB tend to be committed to their job and the overall health of the organization. They are also often proficient in the core functions of their jobs, which can lead to formal recognition that includes unspoken appreciation for OCB.
Some common traits observed in organizational citizenship behavior include good sportsmanship, active involvement in all professional and social activities of the company, and general acceptance of the rules and culture of the organization. An employee who practices OCB will typically be an exceptionally strong team player who maintains goodwill among colleagues and keeps the spirits of others upbeat.
Another strong element of OCB is personal initiative. A worker with good OCB will often be able to take charge of a situation with little direction. This type of employee typically has an innate understanding of what needs to be done in order to further organizational goals. Employees who practice OCB tend to be strong ambassadors for corporate branding as well.
While organizational citizenship behavior is by its nature removed from the official functions of an organization, it does not go completely unnoticed. Some companies have attempted to define this type of employee dedication, at least on an individual basis, so that the employee can be recognized and encouraged. There are some who dispute the validity of the OCB concept due to these kinds of organizational efforts.
Some people who are skeptical of the concept of citizen organizational behavior have also argued that jobs no longer have the kind of structure that would enable the phenomenon. The argument is that while most positions used to be well defined, they are now often more flexible. Therefore, it is probably more difficult to distinguish between actions that are part of the job and those that go beyond what is expected of the employee.
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