Organizational Citizenship Behavior

(OCB)

Glossary of HR Terms What is Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)

What is OCB?

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) refers to voluntary, discretionary behaviors employees perform that go beyond their formal job requirements and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organization. These include helping coworkers, showing initiative, being flexible, or advocating for the organization, actions not explicitly rewarded by formal systems but valuable for organizational success.

Why it matters

OCBs strengthen teamwork, enhance organizational culture, and improve overall productivity. They create a positive work environment where employees support one another, which can reduce turnover and increase engagement. Although OCBs are not mandated, organizations with high levels of citizenship behavior often perform better in terms of collaboration, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

How it affects HR

HR promotes OCB by recognizing and rewarding behaviors that go beyond formal job duties, such as teamwork, mentoring, and initiative. Performance systems can be designed to value these contributions, while culture initiatives build trust, inclusion, and psychological safety, conditions that make employees more likely to demonstrate discretionary effort. By reinforcing fairness and strong leadership, HR creates an environment where OCB naturally supports collaboration, innovation, and overall effectiveness.

Encourage employees to go above and beyond

Organizational citizenship behaviors are the extra efforts that strengthen teams and culture. Plum helps you identify the soft skills and motivators that drive collaboration, adaptability, and initiative. With these insights, you can nurture a culture where employees naturally contribute beyond their core roles.

Foster OCB with Plum

Common use cases/Examples

  • An employee voluntarily mentoring a new hire without being asked.
  • Staying late to help a teammate finish a project.
  • Advocating for the organization outside of work (e.g., referring candidates, promoting company brand).
  • Volunteering for extra tasks during periods of high demand.
  • Maintaining a positive attitude during organizational changes.

Examples of companies that benefit from OCB

  • Tech firms like Google, where collaboration and innovation thrive on employees going beyond role boundaries.
  • Enterprises such as Zappos or Ritz-Carlton, known for cultures where employees frequently take initiative to delight customers.
  • SMBs and startups that rely heavily on employees showing flexibility and initiative beyond their formal roles.

FAQ

Not directly. OCB is discretionary, but organizations often recognize and encourage it through informal praise, recognition programs, or leadership opportunities.

Yes. OCB is often assessed through 360-degree feedback, engagement surveys, or behavioral observations by managers and peers.

While generally beneficial, excessive OCB can lead to burnout if employees overextend themselves. Organizations should balance recognition of OCB with workload management.

Core job performance is about fulfilling defined responsibilities, while OCB refers to “extra-role” behaviors that are not formally required but enhance effectiveness.

By fostering psychological safety, creating recognition programs, supporting strong leadership, and building inclusive, purpose-driven cultures.