Abstract

When employees are satisfied with their work, they are more engaged and, consequently, demonstrate better organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), which translates into higher levels of job performance. Based on social exchange theory, teacher-researchers' job satisfaction and organizational commitment are the main predictors of their OCB in the university environment. Throughout this article, we focus on the positive aspects of organizational behavior as an innovative approach to overcoming the constraints of Moroccan universities. More specifically, this study aims to highlight the role of organizational citizenship behavior in improving faculty and university performance.

Keywords: Teacher-researcher, OCB, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, performance.

1. Background of the study

Educational organizations, such as universities, have a very important and delicate mission.  In order to achieve their objective of teaching and training students, they need highly committed and conscientious teachers (faculties) who form an essential basis for determining the development of education and academic excellence. Since the 2000s, Morocco's university landscape has been transformed by a vast movement of reforms coupled with new rules that are imposed on institutions, and therefore on teacher-researchers, in terms of recruitment, promotion, mobility or even valorization of activities. These evolutions could disrupt the way organizations should manage individuals' careers, and also the way individuals themselves perceive their own career management. Therefore, there are many opportunities to slacken off, as well as opportunities to go beyond the minimum or the norm. To survive, universities cannot rely on teachers who are only good at teaching, the paperwork and research activities involved require a considerable effort that goes beyond their traditional teaching role. They also need to adopt a more positive attitude and commitment, while tolerating unfavorable and complex situations (DiPaola and Hoy, 2005; Organ, 1997; Podsakoff et al., 2000; Zeinabadi, 2010). In this context, this study will focus on the positive effects of certain type of behaviors on individual and organizational performance, particularly popularized under the name of organizational citizenship behaviors (Graham, 1986; Smith et al., 1983; Bateman and Organ, 1983; Podsakoff et al., 2000).

2. Literature review:

Ever since Chester Barnard first referred to the OCB phenomenon in 1938 as "willingness to cooperate", a notion that was subsequently developed by Katz and Kahn (1966; 1978) to include a distinction between formal in-role behavior and discretionary extra-role behavior that is essential to the smooth functioning of the organization (Katz, 1964), the examination of its conceptualization has attracted the interest of several researchers (Organ, 1988; Van Dyne et al.., 1995; Borman and Motowidlo, (1993, 1997); Agarwal, 2016). Later on, Organ (1988) built on the notions of Barnard (1938) and Katz (1964) to develop his concept of OCB, who defined it as ''discretionary behavior, which is not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system and which, as a whole, promotes the smooth functioning of the organization''.

In a university context, organizational citizenship behavior has been defined by Rego (2003, p.9) as "behavior that tends to be discretionary, that is not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system and that contributes to the effective functioning of the educational institution measured in terms of students' academic performance". Researchers have identified a number of determinants that have contributed to organizational citizenship behavior in schools, such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job effectiveness, sense of educational vocation, organizational trust, perceived organizational support, school culture (individualism-collectivism), school climate and educational leadership (Nguni et al., 2006; Sesen & Basim, 2012).

In their study of an educational institution, Williams and Anderson (1991) refer to OCB to be a two-dimensional construct whereby the dimensions of altruism and courtesy stand as indicators of OCB-I (OCB towards individuals), whereas the dimensions of conscientiousness, civic virtue and sportsmanship stand as indicators of OCB-O (OCB towards organizations). A study conducted by Somech & Drach-Zahavy (2000) highlighted three distinct facets of extra-role behavior, representing three levels of the school system: the student, the group and the organization as a unit. This study confirmed then the validity of the multidimensional approach to conceptualizing and measuring extra-role behavior.

3. Research objectives

This study pursues three main objectives:

1. To highlight the positive aspects of behavior in the quest for progress and development of individuals, organizations and society, whose main effects can be observed in academic and applied research.
2. To deepen the understanding of organizational citizenship behavior and its role in predicting job satisfaction and organizational commitment among faculty members and therefore contributing to the performance of the Moroccan university as a whole.
3. To fills the gap in the literature on organizational citizenship behavior in the Moroccan context, as there is no study that has examined it.

4. Research design and methodology

This study is based on a constructivist (social constructivist) perspective as we seek to understand teacher-researchers' verities while observing their interpretations and experiences of their academic environment, along with their thought processes and the social structures arising from an exchange of these interpretations through language and behavior. More specifically, we want to know how teacher-researchers construct their knowledge about OCB and how these constructions contribute to understanding social influences and individual thought processes.

Through a qualitative approach, we interpret teachers' perceived understandings of OCB in the university environment with the deeper meanings they attach to it (Cassell, 2005). Indeed, how faculty members describe their work-related activities plays a key role in understanding their organizational citizenship behaviors. We generally begin with semi-structured interviews with teacher-researchers, in order to delve deeper and discover the actual conditions of the phenomenon.

A unique case study design is used to understand faculty members' perceptions and experiences of organizational citizenship behavior in their careers. The use of the case study is appropriate in our research to answer the "how" and "why" that requires further interpretation (Yin, 2014). Our survey is conducted at one of Morocco's public universities, the University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah of Fez. Our data will be collected from various institutions at the University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah of Fez, in different disciplines.

5. Current and Future Research Perspectives

This research is currently in the process of data collection. We have begun interviewing the teacher-researchers in their work environment, and wish to gather as much information as possible to begin data processing. Therefore, by the final submission of the full article, the necessary findings will be provided.

references

Agarwal, P. (2016). Redefining the organizational citizenship behavior. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 24, 956‑984.

Bateman, T., & Organ, D. (1983). Job Satisfaction and the Good Soldier: The Relationship Between Affect and Employee « Citizenship ». Academy of Management Journal, 26.

Dipaola, M., & Tschannen-Moran, M. (2001b). Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Schools and Its Relationship to School Climate. Journal of School Leadership, 11.

Organ. (1990). The motivational basis of organizational citizenship behavior. Research in Organizational Behavior.

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Paine, J. B., & Bachrach, D. G. (2000). Organizational citizenship behaviors: A critical review of the theoretical and empirical literature and suggestions for future research. Journal of Management, 26(3), 513‑563.

Smith, C. A., Organ, D. W., & Near, J. P. (1983). Organizational citizenship behavior: Its nature and antecedents. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 653‑663. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.68.4.653

Van Dyne, L., Graham, J. W., & Dienesch, R. M. (1994). Organizational citizenship behavior: Construct redefinition, measurement, and validation. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 765‑802.

Williams, L. J., & Anderson, S. E. (1991). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as predictors of organizational citizenship and in-role behaviors. Journal of Management, 17, 601‑617.

Zeinabadi, H. (2010). Job satisfaction and organizational commitment as antecedents of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) of teachers. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 998‑1003.