The rocky road to prosocial behavior at work: The role of positivity and organizational socialization in preventing interpersonal strain

Stefano Livi; Annalisa Theodorou; Marika Rullo; Luigi Cinque; Guido Alessandri

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193508

The rocky road to prosocial behavior at work: The role of positivity and organizational socialization in preventing interpersonal strain

PLoS One. 2018 Mar 1;13(3):e0193508. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193508. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Stefano Livi¹, Annalisa Theodorou¹, Marika Rullo², Luigi Cinque³, Guido Alessandri³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
² Institut de Psychologie, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Among relevant consequences of organizational socialization, a key factor is the promotion of organizational citizenship behaviors toward individuals (i.e. OCBI). However, the relation between organizational socialization and OCBI has received little attention. This study tests the validity of a moderated mediation model in which we examine the mediating effect of a decreased interpersonal strain on the relationship between organizational socialization and OCBI, and the moderation role of a positive personal resource in reducing interpersonal strain when an unsuccessful socialization subsists. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 765 new recruits of the Guardia di Finanza-a military Police Force reporting to the Italian Minister of Economy. Findings confirm our hypothesis that interpersonal strain mediates the relationship between organizational socialization and OCBI. The index of moderated mediation results significant, showing that this effect exists at different levels of positivity. Theoretical and practical implications for promoting pro-organizational behaviors are discussed.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Organizational Culture*
Social Behavior
Socialization*
Young Adult

Grants and funding

GA received grant Progetto di Ateneo, No. 1081/2016 from Sapienza Università di Roma. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.