Impact of prosocial motivation on organizational citizenship behavior: the mediating role of ethical leadership and leader–member exchange

This study empirically examined how ethical leadership and leader-member exchange mediates the relationship between prosocial motivation and organizational citizenship behavior. Both the prosocial motivation and organizational citizenship behavior are well-explored contemporary theories but the mediating roles of ethical leadership and leader–member exchange have not been thoroughly investigated. Our theoretical model was tested using data collected from employees working in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector in Pakistan. The analysis of multisource time-lagged data from 295 employees showed that the sequential mediating effect proposed in this research increases the influence of prosocial motivation on organizational citizenship behavior. It was found that encouraging ethical leadership and leader-member exchange within organizations promotes organizational citizenship behavior among the employees. Theoretical and practical implications discussed in the study guides the management to promote ethical leadership and leader-member exchange within organizational boundaries. These outcomes have considerable tactical, statistical, and real-world inferences for the stakeholders of TVET sectors. © 2020, Springer Nature B.V.