An Affective Events Model of the Influence of the Physical Work Environment on Interpersonal Citizenship Behavior

Abstract

A B S T R A C TBased on the Affective Events Theory (AET), this paper proposes a model of how the level of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) directed at individuals (peers) (OCB-I) declines to the extent that physical conditions in offices make employees experience crowding perceptions and privacy invasions from peers. We hypothesize that: 1) crowding perceptions and privacy invasions by peers are related to employees' feelings of relational conflict with peers; 2) relational conflict negatively relates to OCB-I; and 3) this decrease in OCB-I is mediated by the employee's person-organization fit (POF) and empathic concern. A direct path from crowding perceptions and privacy invasions to OCB-I is also postulated. Data were collected from 299 respondents working in open-plan offices at four IT-based companies in Tehran, Iran. Results found significant positive links of relational conflict to privacy invasion, crowding perceptions and OCB-I; and from privacy invasion to OCB-I. Furthermore, POF and empathic concern mediated the link between conflict and OCB-I. The findings suggest that managers can promote OCB-I by regulating not only the psychosocial conditions of the work environment, but also the physical conditions.

The Moderation of Perceived Comfort and Relations with Patients in the Relationship between Secure Workplace Attachment and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors in Elderly Facilities Staff

“…In fact, in line with Carter et al [ 88 ], caregivers’ perceived spatial-physical comfort in the work environment increases the likelihood of performing OCBs. In particular, the relationships emerged between perceived comfort and altruistic behaviors, this is in line with the negative effects of low comfort on workers’ altruism found in the study by Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara et al [ 87 ].…”

“…Even though it has been shown that office physical features such as noise, lighting conditions, temperature, and indoor air quality impact the attitudes, behaviors, productivity, and satisfaction of employees [ 68 ], and that the low quality of workplace design can elicit lower work satisfaction, lower job productivity, poorer health, and higher mental fatigue [ 69 ], less attention has been placed on perceived design quality in relation to workers’ behaviors and well-being. Among those addressing these concerns, Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara et al [ 87 ], evidenced the negative influence of crowded physical workspaces with low privacy on organizational citizenship behaviors in favor of others (OCB-I) in a study with workers in open-space facilities. Carter and colleagues [ 88 ] found that satisfaction with physical workspace and perceived quality of the physical workplace are drivers of OCBs.…”

How does COVID-19 emergency cognition influence public pro-environmental behavioral intentions? An affective event perspective

“…For example, Choi et al( 2011 ) found that when employees face innovative activities at work, they will feel cheer or delight because of the benefits brought by innovation, and also feel anxious or helpless when facing new things. For setting up open-plan offices, an internal workplace event, employees also experience positive or negative social-related affective reactions, such as positive affective concerns for colleagues or negative affective reactions like tensions of privacy violation ( Ashkanasy et al, 2014 ; Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara and Sharifiatashgah, 2020 ). Therefore, these work events can trigger both positive and negative affective reactions.…”

Having fun! The role of workplace fun in enhancing employees’ creative behaviors in Chinese work settings

“…The Affective Events Theory (AET) [ 12 ] explains the relationship between the internal influences of employees, represented in affective events, or moods and emotions, and their reactions to events that happen in the workplace and impact their performance, feelings, attitudes, and job satisfaction levels. The theory differentiates between affective or influential work behaviors and cognitive–based behaviors that act as job satisfaction predictors [ 28 ]. Individuals within organizations behave according to their spontaneous feelings that change from one moment to another in the workplace.…”