Ethic

Journal of Applied Psychology 2006, Vol. 91, No. 1, 70 – 82

Copyright 2006 by the American Psychological Association 0021-9010/06/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.91.1.70

Relational Correlates of Interpersonal Citizenship Behavior: A Social Network Perspective

Wm. Matthew Bowler

University of North Texas

Daniel J. Brass

University of Kentucky

This study examines the role of social network ties in the performance and receipt of interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB), one form of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). A field study involving 141 employees of a manufacturing firm provided evidence that social network ties are related to the performance and receipt of ICB. Results support hypothesized relationships, which are based on social exchange theory, suggesting strength of friendship is related to performance and receipt of ICB. Support was also found for impression management-based hypotheses suggesting that asymmetric influence and 3rd-party influence are related to the performance and receipt of ICB. These relationships were significant when controlling for job satisfaction, commitment, procedural justice, hierarchical level, demographic similarity, and job similarity. Implications and directions for future research are addressed. Keywords: social networks, interpersonal citizenship behavior, friendship, influence, third parties

Since Katz’s (1964) suggestion that organizations depending entirely on job descriptions to elicit employee behaviors would be likely to experience poor performance, there has been a great deal of research on extrarole behaviors in organizations. Bateman and Organ (1983) operationalized the construct organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and set in motion 20 years of intense study on the subject (Niehoff & Moorman, 1993; Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Paine, & Bachrach, 2000; Tepper & Taylor, 2003; Wagener & Rush, 2000; Organ, 1988; Podsakoff, Ahearne, & MacKenzie, 1997; Koys, 2001; MacKenzie, Podsakoff, & Ahearne,...