The current article develops the concept of management citizenship behavior (MCB) as a complement to the widely used concept of organizational citizenship behavior. The concept of MCB facilitates an analysis of the behavior of managers as contributors to organizational viability. The author uses data coded from the population of organizational ethnographies (N = 108) to evaluate the determinants and consequences of MCB. Unstable product markets result in lower levels of MCB. Product market competition, however, appears to encourage MCB. In turn, MCB exerts a strong positive effect on organizational citizenship behavior and also reduces conflict between employees and managers and infighting among employees. MCB thus functions both as a mediator of organizational effects and as a strong independent influence. Increased attention to the causes and consequences of management citizenship behavior may assist in the identification of optimal conditions for organizational success and for meaningful work.
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