“I Like It like That”: A Study on the Relationship between Psychological Capital, Work Engagement and Extra-Role Behavior

Maria Luisa Giancaspro, Antonino Callea and Amelia Manuti
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Maria Luisa Giancaspro: Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
Antonino Callea: Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University, 00193 Rome, Italy
Amelia Manuti: Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Starting from the Positive Organizational Behavior movement, several studies showed that some personal resources and some contextual features within the working context might encourage individuals and groups in thriving, thus providing a concrete competitive advantage for organizations. Among the individual factors, psychological capital (PsyCap) received a special interest because it was proved to promote positive work attitudes and behaviors. The present study aimed to investigate the positive effect of PsyCap on extra-role behaviors considering the mediating role of work engagement. A mediational hypothesis was tested via SEM on 1219 Italian employees, balanced for gender. Results suggested that work engagement partially mediated the positive relationship between PsyCap and extra-role behaviors. The present study shed a light on the psychological mechanisms according to which PsyCap positively affects extra-role behaviors. In line with the Positive Organizational Behavior Movement Theory, personal resources, i.e., PsyCap, tend to improve work engagement that, in turn, tends to promote positive behaviors at work. Finally, the present study discussed results especially in terms of practical implications in order to promote employees’ PsyCap in organizational setting.

Keywords: positive organizational behavior; PsyCap; extra-role behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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