Enhancing organizational citizenship behavior in a non-western context of the UAE: the role of organizational justice, leadership and psychological empowerment

Purpose The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to examine the direct relationship of organizational justice (OJ), psychological empowerment (PE), Leader Member Exchange (LMX), organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), LMX on PE and OCB and PE on OCB; and second, to investigate the mediating role of PE between OJ and OCB and between LMX and OCB in the service industry in a non-Western context. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative questionnaire was used to test the proposed hypotheses of the study. From employees working in service providing organizations in the UAE, 364 usable responses had been collected and data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings OJ significantly influences PE and LMX, while its influence on OCB is insignificant. Also, LMX significantly affects PE and OCB, PE significantly impacts OCB, whereas PE and LMX significantly mediate the relationship between OJ and OCB. Practical implications Organizations should promote fairness, psychological empowerment and OCB among employees. Additionally, leaders should develop positive and productive relationships with their employees. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of a limited number of studies designed to analyze the hypothesized relationships within a non-Western context, specifically in the UAE.