Group Citizenship Behaviour: Conceptualization and Preliminary Tests of its Antecedents and Consequences

Abstract

Group citizenship behaviour (GCB) is conceptualized as a distinct group-level phenomenon concerning the extent to which work groups engage in behaviours that support other work groups and the organization as a whole. These behaviours are different from task performance; they enhance and maintain the social and psychological environment in which task performance occurs. Based on the referent-shift consensus model (Chan, 1998), we developed a GCB scale and examined its nomological network. In a sample of 148 work groups in the Hong Kong office of a multinational bank (a total of 743 employees), between-group differences in GCB were greater than within-group differences. GCB was positively associated with procedural justice climate and work group leadership support. Work group cohesiveness and group-organizational goal congruence interactively predicted GCB, as did the negative affective tone of the group and the group's negative affectivity homogeneity. In addition, GCB was positively related to group performance, and negatively related to employee turnover intentions. The theoretical and empirical implications of this study are discussed in the context of Chinese organizations.