OCB in the Context of Gender, Diversity and Inclusive Workplaces

Organizations in today’s globalized world must be ready to respond to the unpredictable and competitive nature of markets and businesses today, and workplaces ought to be receptive to employees coming from diverse cultural backgrounds. The growing diversity in the workforce has compelled organizations to create and enhance inclusivity in the workplace. These changing times demand a better understanding of diversity and inclusivity so that managers can support positive and constructive actions and behaviours of the employees, like organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB), that are not a part of their formal roles, tasks and their job description and which benefit the organization. This chapter thus examines the phenomenon of OCB from both, a sociological and human resource perspective, in the context of a globalized world with people from diverse backgrounds, genders and ages working together. Social exchange and social identity theories are examined to understand OCB along with the social role theory which sheds light on gender and OCB. Support from empirical studies is presented to supplement the theoretical frameworks. The need for inclusive work environments reflecting organizational justice, perceived organizational justice and fairness is examined in this chapter. The significance of diversity management is also highlighted, in the light of its benefits and challenges.