Job satisfaction and OCBs: what’s new? The mediating role of organizational identification

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of intrinsic job satisfaction (JS) on organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) directed toward individuals (OCBs-I) and OCB directed toward organization (OCBs-O) via organizational identification (OID). Based on social exchange and social identity theories, it is hypothesized that OID may play a mediator role in the relationship between JS and OCBs-I and OCBs-O. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire investigating JS, OID and OCBs dimensions was administered to 719 Italian employees. The mediation hypotheses were analyzed through structural equation model, via bootstrap analysis, after preliminary analyses as correlations and measurement model. Findings Results showed a positive relationship between JS, OID and OCBs dimensions. Furthermore, OID partially mediated the positive effects of JS on OCBs-I and OCBs-O. These findings supported hypotheses, suggesting that OID may explain the psychological mechanism through which an employee intrinsically satisfied about own job will fulfill more extra-role performance, i.e. OCBs-I and OCBs-O. Practical implications Implications for human resource management policies are discussed: to HR professionals is proposed to implement interventions to enhance employees' intrinsic satisfaction and identification with the organization, to increase consequently positive organizational behaviors such as OCBs. Originality/value This study attempted to examine the JS-OCBs relationship in more depth. For the first time, the JS on OCBs-I and OCBs-O were simultaneously investigated, with OID as a mediator: shedding new light on the relationship among these variables.