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Preferential Mistreatment: How Victim Status Moderates the Relationship Between Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Workplace Victimization

Author

Listed:
  • Karl Aquino

    (Department of Business Administration, College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716)

  • William H. Bommer

    (Department of Management, Georgia State University, 33 Gilmer Street SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303)

Abstract

This study investigates whether the performance of organizational citizenship behavior and three indicators of social status—hierarchical position, gender, and race—predict employees' vulnerability to being victimized by the harmful actions of others. We hypothesize that interpersonally directed organizational citizenship deflects mistreatment by others because it enhances social attractiveness and creates bonds of mutual obligation and reciprocity. However, drawing from prior research that shows that people with high social status are perceived more favorably than people with low status, we also hypothesize that benefits of organizational citizenship are more likely to accrue to employees in high, as compared to low, status groups. Data were from 448 employees of a U.S. manufacturing firm. As expected, citizenship was more strongly and negatively related to perceived victimization for whites as compared to African-Americans. However, contrary to our prediction, citizenship was more strongly related to perceived victimization among employees with low, as compared to high, hierarchical status. No moderating effect of gender was found. Implications for organizations are discussed and future research directions are offered.

Suggested Citation

  • Karl Aquino & William H. Bommer, 2003. "Preferential Mistreatment: How Victim Status Moderates the Relationship Between Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Workplace Victimization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 374-385, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:14:y:2003:i:4:p:374-385
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.14.4.374.17489
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cam Caldwell & Larry Floyd & Ryan Atkins & Russell Holzgrefe, 2012. "Ethical Duties of Organizational Citizens: Obligations Owed by Highly Committed Employees," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 285-299, October.
    2. Yejun Zhang & Mark C. Bolino & Kui Yin, 2023. "The Interactive Effect of Perceived Overqualification and Peer Overqualification on Peer Ostracism and Work Meaningfulness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(3), pages 699-716, January.
    3. Yina Mao & Jian He & Dongtao Yang, 2021. "The dark sides of engaging in creative processes: Coworker envy, workplace ostracism, and incivility," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 1261-1281, December.
    4. Kanze, Dana & Conley, Mark A. & Higgins, E. Tory, 2021. "The motivation of mission statements: How regulatory mode influences workplace discrimination," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 84-103.
    5. Samanvitha Swaminathan & P. David Jawahar, 2013. "Job Satisfaction As A Predictor Of Organizational Citizenship Behavior: An Empirical Study," Global Journal of Business Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 7(1), pages 71-80.
    6. Nishat Ameer, 2017. "Impact of Organizational Culture on Employee Performance and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)," International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, Professor Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, vol. 3(5), pages 183-196.
    7. Abdullah Ibrahim & Wan Khairul Aiman Wan Mokhtar & Suzaiki Ali & Mohamad Hafis Amat Simin, 2017. "Effect of Transformational Principal Leadership Style on Teachers Commitments and School Achievement," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7(5), pages 518-527, May.
    8. Rabbia Jamal & Danish Ahmed Siddiqui, 2020. "The Effects of Workplace Incivility on Job Satisfaction: Mediating Role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation, Emotional Exhaustion," International Journal of Human Resource Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 10(2), pages 5681-5681, December.

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