An Experiment Examining the Relationship of Affect, Equity, and Equity Sensitivity, With Organizational Citizenship Behaviors

This study employed an experimental design intended to be an analog to the workplace to simultaneously examine the affect orientation and equity theory explanations of OCBs, which were evaluated as prosocial behaviors. Participants were 188 undergraduates. Participants' dispositional variables were measured at time 1, and at time 2, participants experienced an equity manipulation and were given the opportunity to perform prosocial behaviors. Results indicated a distinction between the decision to help and helping effort, which has not been thoroughly examined in literature on OCBs. Results revealed that the threshold for the decision to help was raised by inequity, yet once the decision had been made, affect and personality variables affected effort of helping. Implications for research and practice are discussed.