Nurturing Organizational Citizenship Behaviours By Optimism Subculture Empirical Evidence From Pakistan

• Author: BASHARAT NAEEM MUHAMMAD EHSAN MALIK and NEELAM BANO

Abstract. The main purpose of this study is to assess empirically to what extent sales force perceptions of optimism subculture are related to their Organizational Citizenship Behaviours directed towards organization (OCB-O) in the context of pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan. Survey methodology with descriptive research design is used to test the hypotheses. The results of hierarchical regression analyses of one hundred and ninety seven pharmaceutical sales persons' responses revealed that optimism subculture had significant positive effect on OCB-O and its dimensions such as civic virtue and conscientiousness with exception of sportsmanship controlling the effects of gender education age and selling experience of sales force. Practical implications of study findings and future research suggestions are presented too.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical sales force Pakistan Optimism subculture Civic virtue Conscientiousness Sportsmanship OCB

1. INTRODUCTION

   Organ (1988) defined organizational citizenship behaviour as individual behaviour that is discretionary not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system and that in the aggregate promotes the effective func- tioning of the organization. By discretionary we mean that the behaviour is not an enforceable requirement of the role or the job description that is the clearly specifiable terms of the person's employment contract with the organization; the behaviour is rather a matter of personal choice such that its omission is not generally understood as punishable." Despite the growing interest in citizenship-like behaviours literature review on this topic revealed lack of agreement about the dimensionality of this construct indicating almost 30 potentially different forms of citizenship behaviour (Podsakoff et al. 2000) including

   Organization Citizenship Behaviours directed towards Organization (OCB-O) and Organization Citizenship Behaviours directed towards Individual (OCB-I). Williams and Anderson (1991) note that citizenship behaviours directed toward organization inclusive of sportsmanship civic virtue and conscientiousness dimensions promotes the welfare of the organization.

   Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) is important in promoting organizational effectiveness (Yen and Neihoff 2004) and producing short and long-term higher outcomes for the organizations (Joireman et al. 2006; Dick et al. 2006). The absence of OCB may generate negative consequences such as lower performance and high turnover (Lamude 1994; Motowidlo 2003). However the organizations whose workers engage in OCB may enjoy improved strategic planning rising managerial productivity and efficient on- boarding' of new hires (Podsakoff and MacKenzie 1997). A recent meta- analysis conducted by Podsakoff et al. (2009) demonstrated evidence for the individual benefits (e.g. managerial ratings of employee performance" reward allocation decisions" and variety of withdrawal-related criteria) and organizational benefits (e.g. productivity reduced costs customer satisfac- tion unit-level turnover) of organization citizenship behaviours.

   Therefore the antecedents of OCB captured attention by past OCB researchers. In their literature review Podsakoff et al. (2000) noted four antecedent categories of OCB such as individual characteristics task characteristics organizational characteristics and leader behaviours. One important determinant is organizational culture which can also influence OCB (Mustaffa et al. 2007). Organization culture was extensively investigated by researchers in last few decades but optimism subculture defined as work unit cultural values directed at encouraging innovation focused on result rather than activities considering the effect of outcomes on employees and stressing teamwork (Green Jr. et al. 2004) remained ignored regarding its role in nurturing OCB.

   Most empirical research on OCB was conducted in the West using US employee's samples (Farh et al. 2004). The studies conducted in the non- Western context particularly in Pakistan are limited in number. Podsakoff et al. (2000) urged for the need of future research to examine the potential impact of culture on citizenship behaviours (Jena and Goswami 2014). In addition to it currently there is a dearth of studies that connects optimism subculture with important organizational construct such as OCB-O and its dimensions. Hence the need of the hour is to investigate whether or not optimism subculture contributes to fostering OCB-O and its dimensions in the selling context of Pakistan. Therefore the main goal of this research investigation was to extend the research on optimism subculture as antecedent of OCB particularly OCB-O and its three important dimensions from the perspective of pharmaceutical sales persons in Pakistani context.

   Social exchange theory was used to provide conceptual logic by which optimism...