The Mediating Effect of Dyadic Communication Style Agreement on the Relationship Between Servant Leadership and Group-Level Organizational Citizenship Behavior

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Organizational Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

This study proposes a model of dyadic communication agreement that mediates the relationships between servant leadership and group-level organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in work groups. Our model draws upon and integrates research and theories from the servant leadership, conversational constraint, relational dyadic, and social network literatures. The model is tested by using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) with data obtained from a sample of 510 employees and 59 work groups in three Malaysian organizations. Results show that servant leadership is related to dyadic communication style agreement in the workplace at the individual level, and that the servant leadership-group-level OCB link is partially mediated by dyadic communication style agreement in the workplace. These findings partially validate our proposed model and, in particular, provide empirical support for the central roles of communication and cultural exchange processes in workgroups.

Authors

• Hassan Abu Bakar, U of Utara - Malaysia

• Robert M. McCann, U of California - Los Angeles