Organisational citizenship behaviour among railway employees in a developing country: effects of age, education and tenure

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of differences in age, education and tenure on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). The purposive sample comprised 839 permanently employed staff in a railway organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Participants completed the Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Questionnaire (OCBQ) and provided demographic data. Data were analysed using multiple regressions and an independent samples t-test to determine the effects of the demographic variables, namely age, education and tenure, on OCB. The results indicated they have signifi cant effects on OCB and that age, education and organisational tenure respectively differed signifi cantly in their effect on OCB. The fi ndings provided evidence that the impact of demographic variables on employee behaviour should be considered in the context of cultural interventions and recruitment practices.

Keywords: Democratic Republic of Congo, organisational citizenship behaviour, extra-role
behaviour, demographics, signifi cant differences, railway organisation