Grace Kusumawardhani, Siera Syailendra, Tutik Yuliani

Does Career Development Foster Organizational Citizenship Behavior? The Mediating Influence of Job Satisfaction

Introduction

Does career development foster organizational citizenship behavior? the mediating influence of job satisfaction. This study explores how career development fosters organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through job satisfaction's mediating role. Findings show career development boosts job satisfaction, which then significantly predicts OCB, highlighting satisfaction's crucial influence.

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between career development, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) by testing the mediating role of job satisfaction. Using a quantitative explanatory design, data were collected from 100 permanent employees of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia in Bekasi and analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM–PLS). The findings reveal that career development has a strong and positive effect on job satisfaction but does not directly influence OCB. Instead, job satisfaction significantly predicts OCB and mediates the relationship between career development and OCB. These results emphasize that career development initiatives can only foster citizenship behaviors when they enhance employees’ satisfaction with their jobs. Theoretically, the study strengthens Social Exchange Theory by highlighting job satisfaction as a critical attitudinal mechanism. Practically, the results suggest that organizations should align career development programs with employees’ psychological needs to increase satisfaction and, consequently, stimulate extra-role behaviors. Future studies are encouraged to extend the analysis across industries and adopt longitudinal designs to validate the causal pathways identified.

Review

This study effectively investigates the critical linkages between career development, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), with a clear focus on the mediating role of job satisfaction. Utilizing a quantitative explanatory design and SEM-PLS analysis on data from 100 employees at PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia, the research provides compelling evidence. Key findings reveal that career development significantly enhances job satisfaction, and job satisfaction, in turn, is a strong predictor of OCB. Crucially, the study demonstrates that career development does not directly influence OCB but rather exerts its effect entirely through the mediating pathway of job satisfaction, underscoring that career development initiatives foster citizenship behaviors only when they successfully elevate employees’ satisfaction with their jobs. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are substantial. Theoretically, the study strengthens Social Exchange Theory by clearly identifying job satisfaction as a pivotal attitudinal mechanism through which employees reciprocate perceived organizational investment in their career development with extra-role behaviors. Practically, the results offer actionable insights for organizations, emphasizing that career development programs should be strategically aligned with employees' psychological needs and expectations. By doing so, organizations can maximize job satisfaction, thereby creating a fertile ground for stimulating and sustaining OCB among their workforce, moving beyond mere compliance to genuine organizational commitment. While the study offers valuable contributions, a few considerations emerge. The sample size of 100 employees from a single banking institution in a specific region, though analyzed with advanced statistical methods, may limit the generalizability of the findings across different industries or national contexts. The cross-sectional nature of the data, as with many quantitative studies, establishes correlations and mediations but would benefit from future validation of causal pathways. The authors' own suggestions for future research—extending the analysis across industries and adopting longitudinal designs—are highly pertinent and would undoubtedly provide more robust evidence for the identified relationships and enhance the external validity of these important findings.

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