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The Relationship between Demographic Variables of Gen X and Gen Y Students and Organizational Citizenship Behavior
JOURNAL OF YOUTH RESEARCHES
Katz (1964), Katz &Kahn (1966) point out that when workers show citizenship behavior by
helping their coworkers, protecting their organization, suggesting constructive feedback,
improving their skills, and spreading good will, they will help to improve their departments,
organizations, and personal effectiveness. These researchers state that citizenship behav-
ior provides both organizational and personal benefits because it includes the motive to
help the organization and other people, which is called good soldier syndrome, yet other
researchers claim that it depends on some other reasons (Grant & Mayer, 2009; 900).
Sometimes, some other terms are used instead of OCB, and sometimes these terms sub-
stitute OCB. Contextual performance, interpersonal support in a group and the continuity
of cooperative environment, is one of them. Besides, prosocial behavior, which is based
on Katz’s (1964) ‘creative and spontaneous’ view and which contributes to organizational
effectiveness, is among these terms. Brief & Motowidlo (1986) use this term that does not
have a direct effect on an organization. For instance, when someone in an organization
helps a co-worker by saying how to save up, it is a kind of prosocial behavior. Another
widespread term is extra-role behavior, which means the behavior beyond the designated
deeds. Yet, the most different behavior is whistleblowing that is challenging for organ-
izations in various aspects because employees may go against their organizations due
to some concerns like efficiency, legitimacy, and equity (Organ et al. 2006: Chapter 2).
1
Some researchers use these terms interchangeably, but this leads to conceptual confu-
sion. While Bateman & Organ (1983), Organ (1988) and Smith at al. (1983) call OCB as a
kind of employee behavior beyond the designated deeds, Brief & Motowidlo (1986) call
it prosocial (positive social) organizational behavior, Graham (1991) says it is related to
citizenship, George & Brief, (1992) and George & Jones, (1997) say it is organizational
spontaneity, and George & Brief, (1992) and George & Jones (1997) call it contextual
performance(Podsakoff at al., 2000: 515).
Katz (1964) underlines three important types of behavior for organizations to work effi-
ciently. One is to include employees to the system and to make sure they are in it. The
second one is to perform prescribed tasks in a safe way, and the last one is to act beyond
prescribed deeds like employees’ developing creative ideas and improving themselves
(Katz, 1964: 132-133).
Organ (1988) claimed OCB should be employees’ own will, and though in general it con-
tributed to organizations, that individual behavior was not rewarded explicitly by the or-
ganization. However, upon some criticisms, he stated that OCB should be redefined,
and highlighted that OCB should not be accepted as an extra role, beyond the formal-
ly prescribed job requirements, or directly rewarded (Organ, 1997:86:87). Sezgin (2005)
believes that such a change in the definition depends on that fact that OCB, though
1
Check Organ et al. 2006: Chapter 2 for further reading.
