Organizational citizenship behaviors are best described as which?

• A. Voluntary behaviors employees perform to help others and benefit their organization
• B. Explicit job duties required by the contract
• C. Formal compliance with company policies
• D. Short-term tasks that have no impact on coworkers

Answer: (A)

Organizational citizenship behaviors capture discretionary, voluntary actions that go beyond a job’s formal requirements and are aimed at helping others and the organization as a whole. This fits best with a description of voluntary behaviors employees perform to help coworkers and benefit the organization, even though they aren’t required or formally rewarded.

Think of it as going the extra mile—helping a teammate with a heavy workload, sticking around to finish a project, or sharing knowledge to improve overall team functioning. These acts aren’t part of the official job duties, nor are they simply following policies or completing short-term tasks with no impact; they’re voluntary contributions that support the workplace community and performance.