Perceived organisational support and organisational citizenship behaviour via employee engagement and psychological availability

Abstract

Organisational citizenship behaviour contributes to improved employee performance and the overall organisational performance. In nursing, a lack of these discretionary behaviours may hamper patient recovery. Literature suggests that perceived organisational support influences organisational citizenship behaviour. Although employee engagement and psychological availability are critical factors in understanding employee behaviours, limited attention has been given to understanding how they function as parallel mechanisms in the relationship between perceived organisational support and organisational citizenship behaviour. This study addresses this gap by exploring the mediation roles of these psychological factors in the relationship. The study utilised the social exchange theory and the job demands–resources model as the underpinning theories. We collected cross-sectional data from 847 nurses in Ghana. 761 usable responses were analysed using the PROCESS macro for Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed that perceived organisational support positively predicted organisational citizenship behaviour, employee engagement and psychological availability. Psychological availability also significantly promoted organisational citizenship behaviour. Besides, both employee engagement and psychological availability positively mediated the effect of perceived organisational support on organisational citizenship behaviour. Thus, creating a supportive environment that improves employee engagement and psychological availability among nurses eventually boosts organisational citizenship behaviour and contributes to improved healthcare delivery.