Impact of Social Support on Organizational Citizenship Behaviour: Does Work–Family Conflict Mediate the Relationship?

Abstract

The study investigates the impact of work social support (WSS) and family social support (FSS) on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) through both forms of work–family conflict (WFC), namely, work interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW). Analysis has been performed based on 277 responses from employees working in different organizations in the Western region, Saudi Arabia. It uses the SmartPLS 3-based structural equation model. The investigation finds full mediation of both WIF and FIW for WSS–OCB and partial mediation for FSS–OCB relationships. The results demonstrate that support from both family and work domains have a reciprocal relationship, and they play important roles in reducing WFC with their ultimate desirable impact on OCB. The result implies that WSS focussing on WFC is crucial for motivating employees for OCB. Management should create a supportive environment for the employees within the workplace and ensure family-friendly policies, so that, the employees can minimize WFC. The study indicates that family members have a crucial role in reducing the stress associated with the work domain. The study is a pioneering attempt in the context of Saudi Arabia, where the family has a pivotal role in individual decision-making in both familial and professional domains.