Hybrid work has become a lasting fixture in organizations and understanding its influence on employee behavior is critical. There is a need for closer investigation into how organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) function across distance, given the limited information and reduced social interaction that often characterizes hybrid work environments. This study aims to explore the relationship between the extent of remote work and OCB enactment at organizational (OCB-O) and individual (OCB-I) levels. The study further investigates the role of perceived supervisor relationship quality in shaping OCB enactment.
A cross-sectional survey of 296 knowledge workers from Denmark was conducted. We checked for common method bias and tested hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Unexpectedly, no relationship was found between extent of remote work and OCB performance (H1a, H1b), nor perceptions of coworker OCB (H2a, H2b). An individual’s perception of coworkers' OCB positively predicted their own OCB performance level (H3a, H3b), but the extent of remote work did not moderate this relationship (H4a, H4b). Employee-supervisor relationship quality was related to employee OCB-O (H5b), but not OCB-I (H5a), and neither of these relationships was moderated by extent of remote work (H6a, H6b).
Our findings suggest that fostering positive employee relations and supervisor-employee relations may be important for OCB enactment in hybrid work settings, challenging return-to-office mandates.
This study provides preliminary evidence that the extent of remote work may not significantly impact OCB in contemporary hybrid work environments. Perceptions of coworker OCBs and supervisor relationship quality appear to be more important predictors of OCB enactment in hybrid work settings.
