Social exchanges as motivators of hotel employees’ organizational citizenship behavior: The proposition and application of a new three-dimensional framework

This study developed and empirically tested a three-dimensional framework of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in the hotel industry. Using a social exchange perspective, the study expanded social exchange theory's emphasis on leader–member exchange to include coworker exchange and customer–employee exchange. The three types of social exchanges were tested as motivators for three types of OCB; organizational, interpersonal and customer. The findings support the distinctiveness of the three types of OCB and the importance of social exchanges as motivators for OCBs. This study contributes to the literature on OCB dimensionality in service organizations, as well as social exchange theory's application to discretionary performance in the hotel industry.

Research highlights▶ We proposed and tested a three-dimensional (OCB-O, OCB-I and OCB-C) framework of organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) for the hotel industry. ▶ We expanded social exchanges by including leader-member exchange, co-worker exchange and customer-employee exchange. ▶ Three types of social exchanges influence three types of OCBs differently.