Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Emotional Intelligence of EFL Teachers in Saudi Arabia: Implications to Teaching Performance and Institutional Effectiveness

Abstract

Many studies have extensively investigated the antecedents, consequences, and relationships of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) in corporate and industrial settings, but not in educational contexts particularly in the field of English language teaching. To expand the existing literature in OCB and EI, this study investigated the levels and relationship of OCB and EI of college English teachers in an English language institute in the western region of Saudi Arabia. It tried to answer the following research questions: 1) What is the level of OCB and EI of the respondents? 2) Is there a significant relationship between the respondents’ OCB and EI? Using descriptive correlational research design with adapted organizational citizenship behavior and emotional intelligence scales as data gathering instruments, this study found that the respondents had very high level of OCB. Specifically, the findings revealed that the OCBs under altruism, civic virtue, and compliance dimensions were rated as very high while those under sportsmanship and courtesy were assessed as high. Findings also indicated that the EFL teachers had high level of EI. Lastly, the study proved that there was a significant, positive relationship between the respondents’ organizational citizenship behaviors and emotional intelligence. Based on the findings, the study concludes that the respondents have the potential to excel in their job and are able to contribute to overall institutional effectiveness. This asset should be enriched and sustained by implementing more relevant OCB/EI-friendly policies and practices that support conducive school climate, transformational leadership, and emotional well-being.

Does Servant Leadership Promote Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Citizenship Behavior among Employees? A Structural Analysis

“…It increases job happiness, mental health, physical health, job retention, and service-oriented behaviours among employees by facilitating information exchange [40]. Displaying OCBs can also increase organisational efficiency by reducing the need for monitoring, training, and crisis management expenditures, allowing managers to focus on more critical job duties, and encouraging workers to contribute constructive comments that can help the businesses to develop [41]. OCBs are vital in generating improved levels of organisational productivity, quality, and effectiveness in general [42].…”

Exploring Academic Staff Perception of Organizational Climate and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour: Lessons from Private Universities In Nigeria

“…Altruism involves behaviours of helping co-workers (Meniado, 2020). These help an organization promote efficiency through reduced need for supervision, training, and crisis management costs (Pickford & Joy, 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, the employee within an excellent OC would develop willingness for good behaviour to complete activities outside the main occupation (Widayati & Gunarto, 2017). In order to widen a tradition of willingness and commitment in an educational institution, it is essential to identify and promote the characteristics and actions that lead to OCB (Meniado, 2020). Hence, to fight the scourge of incessant turnover and poor performance, the principles of OC could be deployed.…”

Adversity Quotient Promotes Teachers’ Professional Competence More Strongly Than Emotional Intelligence: Evidence from Indonesia

“…Similar studies have indicated that self-awareness as a part of EI relates to OCB ( Rizki et al 2019 ) and that the regulation of emotion as an indicator of EI affects OCB ( Gan and Yusof 2018 ; Perveen et al 2021 ). Furthermore, EI influences civic virtue, altruism, and conscientiousness as OCB indicators ( Majeed et al 2017 ; Meniado 2020 ; Mariyanti et al 2021 ). This indicates that EI is an essential predictor of OCB.…”