The Relationship between Social Exchange Variables and In-Role Performance, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, and Commitment: Evidence from Israeli Community Centers

Abstract

Community centers provide invaluable services for local communities worldwide. This study examines the relationships between social exchange variables (affection toward supervisors, job satisfaction, distributive justice, and psychological contract violation) and in-role performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and commitment forms (community center, job, and the local community). The target population consisted of employees from 24 community centers working for national nonprofit organizations in Israel. A total of 176 questionnaires were distributed, and 129 employees returned usable questionnaires (a response rate of 73%). Supervisors provided information on in-role performance and OCB. The findings show that affection toward supervisors has a strong positive relationship with the three investigated commitment forms and altruistic OCB. Further, psychological contract violation has a negative relationship with in-role performance and OCB. Therefore, we conclude that the process of social exchange represents an important mechanism for increasing in-role performance, OCB, and commitment.