Extra‐role behaviors challenging the status‐quo

Purpose The paper aims to investigate the antecedents of taking charge, an extra‐role behavior (ERB) directed at challenging the status‐quo. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses were tested using regression analysis on data obtained by surveying 211 employees in one work organization. Findings Support was found for the distinctiveness of taking charge, a type of ERB that challenges the status‐quo, from traditional ERB, such as organization‐directed and individual‐directed organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBO, OCBI, respectively), and from in‐role behaviors (IRB). In addition, individual‐related factors, such as propensity to trust, employee exchange ideology, and their interaction, predict taking charge. Supervisor‐related factors, such as output control by the direct manager, are also significant predictors. Practical implications Practitioners interested in interventions to enhance taking charge behaviors can rely on these findings by either selecting employees (based on the employees' propensity to trust and exchange ideologies) or by providing appropriate organizational controls. Originality/value The findings are valuable for those engaged in theory building and testing and for practitioners. From a theoretical perspective, the paper proposes and tests novel predictors of taking charge on a sample of administrative and line employees. In addition, if the results are properly validated in other organizational contexts, practitioners can use these ideas to design specific interventions.