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Demographic Variables As Moderators Between QWL and OCB: Mohit Yadav, Santosh Rangnekar and Anugamini Priya Srivastava

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Demographic variables as moderators

between QWL and OCB

Mohit Yadav, Santosh Rangnekar and Anugamini Priya Srivastava

Mohit Yadav is based at Abstract


Jindal Global Business School, Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of quality of work life (QWL) on
O.P. Jindal Global University, organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) of employees. Also, the paper examines the role of demographic
Sonipat, India. variables, i.e. gender, position and type of organization as moderators of relationship between QWL
Santosh Rangnekar is based at and OCB.
Indian Institute of Technology Design/methodology/approach – A survey with sample of 375 was used in this study. PROCESS tool by
Roorkee, Roorkee, India. Hayes (2013) was used to analyze the relation between QWL, OCB and demographic variables.
Findings – QWL was found to positively influence OCB. Gender and type of organization were found to
Anugamini Priya Srivastava is
moderate the relationship, whereas position failed to moderate the relation significantly.
based at Symbiosis Institute of
Practical implications – The study reinforced the significance of QWL practices by organizations to
Business Management Pune, improve extra-role behaviours of employees. Also, importance of considering gender and the industry you are
Pune, India. in is emphasized in using and designing the QWL programme for employees.
Originality/value – While many antecedents have been studied in relation to OCB, QWL is rarely discussed.
The paper attempts to reemphasize QWL’s importance in doing so in light of demographic variables
as moderators.
Keywords Gender, OCB, Moderation, Position, QWL, Type of organization
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
The value of our employees can be witnessed by the fact that in today’s environment,
workplaces are designed to be fluid to give much-needed control of their working practice
and work outcome. As directed by Katz (1964), an organization’s survival and growth are not
only dependent on the employees’ clear understanding of their task and duties, but also to a
great extent on their willingness and also the capacity to provide voluntary innovative and
spontaneous actions to benefit the organization. The more complex the structure of the
organization, the more creativity will be required on the employee’s part. Van der Berg and
Martins (2013) stated “most individuals spend a great deal of their time participating in the job
or work-related activities and even plan their time, living standards and social interaction
around the demands of their work” (p. 8). Kotzé (2005) and Rathi (2009) found that people
use what they do at work in defining themselves, therefore making quality of work life (QWL) a
critical determinant of the quality of life of people. QWL was first introduced by Louis Davis,
developed in the First International QWL Conference (1972) in Toronto. The international
council for QWL was also established in the same year. Since then, QWL has become a way
of seeking more meaning to work and life. Serey (2006) defined QWL as “QWL includes (i) an
opportunity to exercise one’s talents and capacities, to face challenges and situations that
require independent initiative and self-direction; (ii) an activity thought to be worthwhile by the
individuals involved; (iii) an activity in which one understands the role the individual plays in the
achievement of some overall goals and (iv) a sense of taking pride in what one is doing and in
doing it well” (p. 7). QWL has become a necessity and a must for the survival of employees
Received 27 April 2018 rather than a privilege.
Revised 6 November 2018
8 June 2019 If we talk about outcomes of QWL, QWL has been linked as a contributor to work engagement
14 July 2019
Accepted 2 August 2019 (Gillet et al., 2013; Kanten and Sadullah, 2012); job performance (DinhTho et al., 2014); quality

PAGE 396 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019, pp. 396-408, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 0019-7858 DOI 10.1108/ICT-04-2018-0040
of life (Nguyen and Nguyen, 2012); career development (Yeo and Li, 2011); intention to leave
(Lee et al., 2013); absenteeism and turnover intentions (Philip et al., 2012); employee
perception (Bradley et al., 2010); job satisfaction (Koonmee et al., 2010); perceived
service delivery and productivity (Viljoen et al., 2014); and individual outcomes (Viljoen et al.,
2014). Studies have established organizational outcomes such as HRM practices (Yeo and
Li, 2011); human resource productivity (Barzegar et al., 2012); organizational effectiveness
(An et al., 2011); organizational commitment (Daud, 2010); and internal work environment (Viljoen
et al., 2014) as outcomes of QWL. Team spirit in a group (Koonmee et al., 2010)
has been predicted by QWL. As mentioned, QWL has been instrumental in predicting various
positive outcomes in an organization, but there is limited research on pro-social behaviour
in organizations.
Organ (1997) tried to clarify the organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) concept by saying that
OCBs are non-task-specific actions which may or may not lead to reward, and if so, the rewards
are most likely to be undefined at the time when OCB occurs. Borman (2004) further added that
OCBs are behaviours “that are not directly related to the main task activities but are important
because they support the organizational, social and psychological context that serves as the
critical catalyst for tasks to be accomplished”.
Organizations have started recognizing OCBs and try to reward it. There have been studies
showing that non-recognition and absence of reward do not deter employees from working
for beneficial outcomes for an organization such as effective knowledge management (Evans
and Davis, 2005); and organizational functioning improvements via resource efficiencies
(Podsakoff et al., 2000). But researchers have also found positive links between OCB and
positive performance appraisal, suggesting that rewarding OCB will enhance it happening
(Borman et al., 1995; MacKenzie et al., 1991; Podsakoff and MacKenzie, 1994; Yadav and
Kumar, 2017). Based on this change in the working environment, many researchers have
tried to rethink the definition of OCB (Korsgaard et al., 2010). Snell and Wong (2007) defined
OCB as “Do more than is formally required in their job and contribute voluntarily to overall
effectiveness without immediate concern for formal rewards or recognition” (p. 886). Morrison
(1994) accurately noted that those behaviours which are considered as OCB for specific
position holders might be the part of in-role for individuals holding different positions
(generally higher positions).
QWL has been documented as an important variable affecting OCB. Hermawati and Mas
(2017) showed that a positive correlation was found between QWL and OCB on a sample in
Indonesia. Nair (2013), on a sample of college teachers in Kerala, India, measured the
influence of QWL on OCB behaviour using intermediate variables such as organizational
commitment. Although the sample size was small – 30 teachers – the results showed the
predicting role of QWL in enhancing OCB behaviour in employees. A similar study was
conducted by Ma et al. (2011) on hotel employees who proposed satisfaction from QWL spill
over to other employee behaviours; here the link was made between organizational
commitment and OCB. However, little research has been carried out to explore the direct
influence of QWL on OCB. Papi and Nuralizadeh (2014) conducted a study on 223 primary
school teachers in Iran and stated that QWL, along with its dimensions, has a positive relation
with OCB. Emphasizing QWL as a significant tool to attract and retain employees, Brahma
and Acharya (2014) conducted a study on hospital staff of Odisha, India and provided a
positive association between QWL and OCB in Indian organizations. However, the study was
limited to a single state of India, and hence had limited implications as the sample was also
quite small; it was not possible to generalize the results for the whole of India. Similarly, each
study showed a difference in the level of relationship between QWL and OCB and showed
context relevant justifications. This provides a gap in generalizing the results. Further, it
becomes more pertinent to examine this relation in the Indian setup. In Indian organizations,
whether private or public, most QWL initiatives are governed and presented based upon
labour legislation. Since legislation is prone to change due to environmental changes,
evaluation of the relationship between QWL and OCB becomes imperative. Thus, based on
the above discussion, the study proposes that:
H1. QWL will relate positively with OCB.

VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j PAGE 397
Variations due to gender
After extensive research, a robust consensus has emerged for gender-related differences in
various job-related employee perceptions (Moncrief et al., 2000; Srivastava, 2000;
Venkatesh, et al., 2017). Kumar et al. (2015) established that not only was conduct
affected but also expectations of how each gender should behave are influenced by the
gender of a person. Based upon prejudices and perceptions surrounding the conduct of
respective genders, Indian workplaces stereotype the level and type of communication,
behaviour and conduct expected by male and female employees. Being a personal trait,
gender does impact on an employee’s perception about work, place of work and people
around them (Mathieu and Zajac, 1990; Yadav and Rangnekar, 2016). The interface between
prejudices and reality creates a lot of confusion and complexities in the workplace for both
genders. Srivastava (2000) stated that gender differences do exist in how job attributes are
perceived. Gilbert (1992) observed that because of societal and cultural expectations and
also parental responsibilities, females are more engrossed in family matters even at the
expense of their jobs, whereas males tend to place the job first, leading to role differences in
the workplace. Estiri et al. (2018) found a significant and positive impact of LMX and gender
on OCB but no moderation by gender between LMX and OCB. Hackett et al. (2018) found
that the positive relation between transformational leadership, LMX and OCB was weaker in
female than male employees. Also, the TL–OCB relation was mediated by LMX for male
employees only and not for their female counterparts. From a snowballed sample of 160
employees, Singh et al. (2017) found that gender positively moderated the impact of
high-quality relationships on identity freedom and OCB. These studies assert the importance
of gender in OCB studies as a moderator.

Variations due to position


The belief that social status influences the perception of employees has been with us for
decades (Blauner, 1964; Hegtvedt and Markovsky, 1995). To identify the effect of an
individual’s position on their behaviour has been well documented in relation to social
identity theory. The theory stated that “people define their identities at least partly based on
their status within the groups and organizations to which they belong” (Tajfel and Turner,
1986). Studies like Kaiser and Craig (2011) and Mumford et al. (2007) are recent studies
which have promoted position or organizational level as a moderator of various employee
behaviours. With an elevation in position, the employee is expected to be more involved
in not only in-role behaviour but also extra-role behaviour; identity is boosted because of
promotion and higher position. With this, the QWL–OCB relationship will get stronger with an
increase in position.

Variations due to type of organization


The type of organization, whether private or public, may have an impact on individual behaviour.
The variation in terms of management philosophy, organizational characteristic and setup,
resource availability, power structure and politics in private and public organizations has been
considered as a major factor in defining employees’ behaviour towards organization and clients
(Markovits et al., 2007). On the one hand, a private organization generally focusses on efficient
work and timely completion of tasks and assignments; on the other hand, a public organization
places major emphasis on following bureaucratic policies and procedures (Srivastava, 2017). The
difference in work culture and orientation determines an employee’s level of commitment towards
organizational goals and accordingly motivates him/her to work more effectively and productively.
Further, over emphasis on completion of work to the detriment of one’s own personal life is a
major issue for many private organization employees. However, in a public organization, this
might not be the case. Public sector employees tend to be less dedicated to meeting work
schedules, resulting in the client suffering at times. This indicates that the type of organization
affects the QWL status of employees, thus affecting their intention to go beyond “call of duty”
roles. With this thought in mind, the study tried to test the moderation power of the type of
organization between QWL and OCB.

PAGE 398 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019
The present study acknowledges the importance of demographic factors in workplace
outcomes, and hence will try to test the significance of demographic factors, i.e. gender, position
and type of organization as moderators of the relationship between QWL and OCB:
H2. Gender moderates the positive relationship between QWL and OCB.
H3. Position moderates the positive relationship between QWL and OCB.
H4. Type of organization moderates the positive relationship between QWL and OCB.

Methodology
Respondents
The population of the study was drawn from employees of large Indian organizations with assets
of more than INR 1bn. The study involved male and female employees from junior, middle and
senior positions from private and public organizations, mainly from western, northern and central
parts of India. In total, 480 questionnaires were administered personally; 410 were returned
completed. In total, 35 questionnaires were found to be incomplete and therefore dropped,
leaving 375 suitable questionnaires for further analysis; this gave a 78.12 per cent acceptance
rate. The demographic profile of the sample is given in Table I.
The mean tenure of the respondents was 11 years, and the average age was 42.5 years. The
sample was male dominated with 73.33 per cent of the sample represented by male and only
26.67 per cent represented by females. The majority of the respondents held a middle-level
position in the organization (53.33 per cent), followed by junior position (27.2 per cent) and then
senior position (19.46 per cent). The majority of our participants were from public organizations
(66.4 per cent) with the remainder from private organizations (33.6 per cent).

Measure
The demographic information sections are comprised of age, gender, position, type of
organization and tenure. The responses were taken on categorical scales. Indication of gender

Table I Demographic properties of sample

Characteristics Total (n ¼ 375) Male (n ¼ 275) (73.33%) Female (n ¼ 100) (26.67%)

Age
21–25 35 (9.33%) 12 (3.2%) 23 (6.13%)
26–30 45 (12%) 26 (6.9%) 24 (6.40%)
31–35 61 (16.26%) 49 (13.06%) 17 (4.5%)
36–40 39 (10.4%) 31 (8.26%) 13 (3.4%)
40–45 51 (13.6%) 18 (4.8%) 13 (3.4%)
Above 45 144 (38.4%) 139 (37.06%) 10 (2.6%)

Organization
Public 249 (66.4%) 195 (52.8%) 54 (14.4%)
Private 126 (33.6%) 80 (21.3%) 46 (12.3%)

Position
Junior level 102 (27.2%) 61 (16.26%) 41 (10.9%)
Middle level 200 (53.33%) 170 (45.33%) 36 (9.6%)
Senior level 73 (19.46%) 45 (12%) 23 (6.2%)
Tenure
0–5 60 (16%) 33 (8.8%) 32 (8.5%)
6–10 63 (16.8%) 42 (11.2%) 26 (6.9%)
11–15 80 (21.33%) 57 (15.2%) 18 (4.8%)
16–20 90 (24%) 71 (18.9%) 14 (3.75%)
Above 20 82 (21.86%) 72 (19.2%) 10 (2.7%)
Note: Primary data

VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j PAGE 399
was on a two-point scale with female represented by 1 and male by 2. A scale with options
varying from 1 (21–25 years) to 6 (above 45) was used to measure age. Tenure was also
measured with a range from 1 (0–5 years) to 5 (above 20 years). The type of organization was
shown using a two-point scale with private organization represented by 1 and public organization
represented by 2. Position was measured on a three-point scale with 1 representing the junior-
level position, 2 representing middle-level position and 3 representing the senior-level position.
QWL scale by McDonald (2001) with 53 items was taken to measure the level of QWL in the
study. The responses were shown on a five-point Likert scale with responses varying from
1 for “strongly disagree” to 5 for “strongly agree”. The sample items are: “The feedback I
receive on my work from my manager/ supervisor is constructive”; “Relationships with work
colleagues are frequently a source of stress” and “I would like more opportunities to
contribute to decisions at work”.
OCB was measured on the scale adopted from Podsakoff et al. (1990); the scale consisted of 24
items. Some sample items of the questionnaire are “I help others who have heavy workloads”;
“I know how to report complaints and suggestions peacefully” and “I willingly help others who
have work-related problems”. The responses were taken on a five-point Likert scale with
responses varying from 1 for “strongly disagree” to 5 for “strongly agree”.
Cronbach’s α values to represent the reliability of the measures of QWL and OCB were found to
be 0.825 and 0.892, respectively. As these values were both above 0.70, the measures were
considered as highly reliable with consistent responses.

Analytic approach
The analysis was performed with IBM SPSS 20. The Pearson correlation was used to determine
the relationships among variables. The Hayes (2013) SPSS PROCESS was used to check the
hypotheses under study. Model 1 of the Hayes (2013) PROCESS tool was followed to conduct
moderation analysis.

Findings
The correlation between QWL and OCB was found to be r ¼ −0.174, p o0.01. This showed that
the variables are weakly and negatively correlated with each other. Based on the correlation
result, direct effect regression analysis was conducted of QWL on OCB using SPSS 20.

Moderation analysis results


The objective of our study was to explore the moderation effect of demographic variables in the
relationship between QWL and OCB (see Figure 1). The moderation effect was examined through
the following steps: effect of an independent variable on the dependent variable; effect of a

Figure 1 Moderated path between QWL and OCB

Moderators

Gender

Position

Type of org.

QWL OCB

PAGE 400 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019
moderator on the dependent variable; and effect of interaction term, i.e. independent term ×
moderator on the dependent variable. Following these steps, moderation analysis was
conducted for H2–H4 using SPSS PROCESS plugin.
Confirming H1, QWL has a significant effect on OCB controlling position and type of organization.
In congruence with H2, gender significantly moderated the linkage between QWL and OCB
negatively (B ¼ −0.25, p o0.01) with ΔR2 of 0.33. This indicated that when the effect of gender is
higher, the effect of QWL on OCB declines. The conditional indirect effect for both female and
male is positive and significant at B ¼ 0.59, 95% CI [0.71, 1.27] and B ¼ 0.36, 95% CI [0.19,
0.52], respectively, showing moderation at both levels. Hence, H2 was supported. Figure 2
represents a graphical representation of this interaction, showing a clear difference in the slopes
of QWL and OCB based on gender difference, i.e. male and female (Table II).

Figure 2 Moderating role of gender in QWL–OCB relationship

4.6 Gender
Male

4.3 Female

4.0
OCB

3.7

3.4

3.1

2.8
2.2 2.6 3.0 3.5 3.9 4.3 4.8
QWL

Notes: OCB, organizational citizenship behaviour; QWL, quality of


work life

Table II Moderated model with OCB as dependent variable and gender as moderator

Predictor Outcome B(SE) 95% CI t-value

Model summary
R R2 F p
0.46 0.22 31.86 0.0000

Moderation model
QWL OCB 0.42 (0.30) [1.03, 2.12] 5.43***
Gender OCB 0.32 (0.56) [1.35, 3.55] 4.40***
QWL × gender OCB −0.25 (0.16) [−0.96, −0.32] −3.80**

Test of higher order unconditional interaction

R2 change F p-Value
QWL × gender 0.33 14.40 0.0002

Conditional indirect effect of QWL at different values of gender


Gender Effect Boot SE Boot 95% CI
Female 0.59 0.14 [0.71, 1.27]
Male 0.36 0.08 [0.19, 0.52]
Notes: B ¼ coefficient; CI, confidence interval. **po 0.01; ***po0.001
Source: Primary data

VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j PAGE 401
Table III shows QWL as a significant predictor of OCB (B ¼ 0.52, p o0.05) controlling gender and
type of organization. Inconsistent with the assumption for H3, position of the employees did not
moderate the connection between QWL and OCB. The insignificant interaction effect shown in
Table III showed that controlling gender and type of organization, the position of the employees
does not alter the relationship between QWL and OCB. Position of employee moderated the
relationship between QWL and OCB (B ¼ 0.07, p W0.05). Hence, H3 was not supported.
Table IV again shows QWL as a significant predictor of OCB (B ¼ 0.39, p o0.001) while
controlling the effect of gender and position of employees. In consistency with our assumption for
H4, type of organization positively and significantly moderated the relationship between QWL and
OCB as the interaction term QWL × type of organization derived a significant value (B ¼ −0.18,
po 0.01) with ΔR2 of 0.05. The conditional indirect effect for both private and public
organizations is positive and significant at B ¼ 0.37, 95% CI [0.14, 0.61] and B ¼ 0.66, 95% CI
[0.46, 0.85], respectively, showing moderation at both levels. Hence, H4 was supported. Figure 3
represents a graphical representation of this interaction, showing a clear difference in the slopes
of QWL and OCB based on the type of organization, i.e. private and public.

Table III Moderated model with OCB as dependent variable and position as moderator

Predictor Outcome B(SE) 95% CI t-Value

Model summary
R R2 F p
0.34 0.11 15.16 0.0000
Moderation model
QWL OCB 0.52 (0.20) [0.12, 0.92] 0.01*
Position OCB 0.07 (0.35) [−0.63, 0.76] 0.19
QWL × position OCB 0.00 (0.36) [−0.21, 0.20] −0.08
Test of higher order unconditional interaction
R2 change F p-Value
QWL × position 0.00 0.01 0.93
Notes: B ¼ coefficient; CI, confidence interval. *p o0.05
Source: Primary data

Table IV Moderated model with OCB as dependent variable and org. type as moderator

Predictor Outcome B(SE) 95% CI t-Value

Model summary
R R2 F p
0.38 0.15 20.30 0.0000
Moderation model
QWL OCB 0.39 (0.26) [0.41, 0.59] 1.33**
Org. type OCB −0.18 (0.52) [−1.79, −0.22] −1.47**
QWL × type OCB 0.12 (0.15) [0.01, 0.59] 1.86**
Test of higher order unconditional interaction
R2 change F p-Value
QWL × org. type 0.05 3.48 0.0330
Conditional indirect effect of QWL at different values of org. type
Org. type Effect SE Boot 95% CI
Private 0.37 0.12 [0.14, 0.61]
Public 0.66 0.09 [0.46, 0.85]
Notes: B ¼ coefficient; CI, confidence interval. **p o0.01
Source: Primary data

PAGE 402 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019
Figure 3 Moderating role of type of organization in QWL–OCB relationship

4.7 Type of org.


Private

4.4 Public

4.2
OCB

4.0

3.7

3.5

3.2
2.2 2.6 3.0 3.5 3.9 4.3 4.8
QWL
Notes: OCB, organizational citizenship behaviour; QWL, quality of
work life

Discussion
The objective of the present study was to find the moderation effect of demographic variables,
i.e. gender, position and type of organization on the QWL–OCB relationship. Multiple regression
analysis was performed to assess the moderation level with the help of the PROCESS tool by
Hayes (2013).

Gender as a moderator between QWL and OCB


H2, which dealt with moderation analysis of gender on the relationship between QWL
and OCB, gave significant results. Supporting Srivastava and Dhar (2019), the study showed that
different genders have a different take on their behaviours. In India, females take more
responsibility and have the most important roles to play at home, while male employees have
comparatively lesser roles to play, specifically in domestic matters. In addition, role expectations
differ in each gender, in particular when they are married. Family responsibilities and difference in
role expectations based on gender create a gap between issues faced related to QWL. This
misbalance between role expectations and ability to manage work and personal life influences the
tendency to exhibit OCB. Female employees were found to have lower OCB at lower QWL
compared to their male counterparts, but with high QWL, female employees scored higher than
male employees in OCB scores. The results are in agreement with Rapoport et al. (2002), who
stated that females generally enjoy less salary and autonomy compared to men in the workplace.
Greater flexibility and autonomy will provide much-needed support in fulfilling multiple roles,
achieving a better work–life balance; higher scores in QWL lead to better organizational, social
and psychological skills and potentially exhibit greater OCB.
The strain overload leads to conflict in both family and work settings. The situation gets worsened
when females compare their conditions with male employees, creating a sense of perceived
gender inequality (Wharton and Baron, 1991). All of this creates an image in the mind of female
employees that even their lower order needs are not met by organizational resources. Hence,
there is reduced motivation in female employees to perform extra-role behaviour. Also, at a lower
level of QWL, female employees are struggling to cope with the combination of work and family
demands, leaving little time to help others.
On the other hand, male employees, irrespective of the lower level of QWL, exhibit OCB as a
result of the stress of competition and job insecurity. Indian society is patriarchal, with the male

VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j PAGE 403
primarily expected to provide for the family. At higher QWL level, the female is afforded the space,
time and motivation to help others, whereas male employees, being transactional, perform OCB
generally to achieve something in return.

Position as a moderator between QWL and OCB


While testing for the moderation level of position in the QWL–OCB relationship, multiple
regression analysis gave an insignificant result. It signifies that the QWL–OCB relationship
remains the same at various position levels, i.e. junior, middle and senior. This supports the view
that an employee’s position in the workplace, in the Indian context, does not have much impact in
supporting QWL. From the Indian perspective, position drives an employee’s motivation to work
better and more enthusiastically for future benefits. However, this completely depends on
individual work ethics, the degree to which they manage their QWL. Position, may it be higher or
lower, does not play a significant role in the QWL and OCB relation. Further, Maslow’s (1943)
needs hierarchy explains exactly the level of need of employees in different levels of position. The
expectation in terms of salary, autonomy, flexibility, support and other types of returns from the
organization changes with the rise in the level of position within the organization. At a lower level,
employees look for monitory and tangible benefits from the job. The main motive is to be assured
about lower-level need fulfilment; at the middle level, the employee looks for more meaning from
work and craves for freedom, social relations with work colleagues, a stress-free work
environment and decision-making power to satisfy his/her social and esteem needs. At a higher
level, employees care less about monetary gains and rewards but look for more challenging
tasks. The tools of motivation may vary, but all levels of employees show a similar level of helping
behaviour in different ways.

Type of organization as a moderator between QWL and OCB


While analyzing the presence of moderation based on the type of organization, multiple
regression analysis gave a significant result of the interaction term, with public organization
employees having high QWL–OCB relationship compared to private organization employees.
The results of the present study are in confirmation of past studies (Chauhan and Chauhan,
2007; Page et al., 2003). Public organizations provide a diverse range of benefits compared
to a private organization. In India, where there is a high level of unemployment, public
organizations provide a sense of job security; this is generally missing in private organizations.
Although private organization employees tend to have better resources and facilities, they also
have to perform large numbers of tasks compared to public organization employees; this leaves
limited time to be used for altruistic behaviour. On the other hand, employees from public
organizations are generally more concerned about the welfare of society and people (Crewson,
1997). At a higher level of QWL, they have ample opportunities to help co-workers and do good
for the organization as well as society. A private organization, as well as its employees, strictly
follows the law of exchange relationships, focussing on producing successful results.
Therefore, there is a limited increase in OCB behaviour until the benefits are more apparent to
the employees, whereas due to the long duration spent together in the workplace, employees
share a genuine concern with each other.

Implications
The present study signifies the importance of QWL for employees as well as the organization.
Specifically, satisfaction from QWL impacts an employee’s OCB behaviour. It has also been
demonstrated that male employees show better OCB at low QWL and female employees show
equal OCB behaviour with increased QWL experience. Also, public utility employees show better
OCB at high QWL and low OCB at low QWL, in comparison with employees from private
organizations. No significant change is found in OCB level of employees based upon variations
in QWL across levels of position. These results are undoubtedly helpful for practitioners in
providing the right kind of QWL environment so that they can encourage an employee to show
extra-role behaviour. Considering demographic variables in further amplifying and streamlining
the processes will help in providing the desired output. These demographic variables play a

PAGE 404 j INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TRAINING j VOL. 51 NO. 7/8 2019
significant role in the Indian context. A lot of debate has been generated around QWL in private vs
public organization and how this is perceived by employees. Gender, as in other parts of the
world, is also talked about at length in Indian organizations. The present study explains variations
in the QWL–OCB relationship based upon these demographics.
The study also draws some theoretical implications. Although various studies have focussed on
QWL in the Indian set-up, no study has yet focussed on how demographic differences could
affect the relation between QWL and OCB. Previous India centred research works have used
outdated research methodologies and hence have had limited impact. The present study has
used the latest moderation technique by Hayes (2013) for varied implications. Although QWL was
in focus a few decades ago, the research in it has reduced drastically. The present study is an
attempt to bring attention back to the topic by linking it with OCB.

Limitations and future scope


The present study has a few limitations which can be considered in future research to create a
more meaningful impact. First, the data collected were cross-sectional. A longitudinal study
in future could help in understanding how, with time, OCB impacts QWL in different demographic
conditions. Second, the data were collected from the same set of respondents. A dyadic method
of data collection from different stakeholders, such as supervisors and juniors, could help in
making more accurate predictions. Third, the respondents are all from India. Similar models
tested in a range of countries will assist in providing a more holistic understanding of the topic.

Conclusion
The objective of the present study was to comprehend the moderating function of demographic
variables (gender, position and type of organization) on the QWL and OCB relationship. The
conclusions drawn from the findings of the study are as follows:
■ female employees are found to have lower OCB at lower QWL compared to male
counterparts but with high QWL, female employees took over male employees with high OCB
scores;
■ position failed to moderate the relationship between QWL and OCB relationship;
■ type of organization was found to significantly moderate the relationship between QWL and
OCB; and
■ public organization employees were found to have a high QWL–OCB relationship compared
to private organization employees.

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Corresponding author
Mohit Yadav can be contacted at: mohitaug@gmail.com

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