Structured Interviewing for OCB: Construct Validity, Faking, and the Effects of Question Type

This study reports the results of an effort to develop a structured interview designed to measure the propensity to engage in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Results indicated that participants were unable to improve their scores by attempting to fake the interview. Evidence of construct validity was provided in that we observed several meaningful relationships between scores on the interview and theoretically relevant dispositional variables such as positive affect and empathy. Additionally, regression analyses revealed that ratings obtained from the OCB interview significantly related to coworker ratings of OCB. Overall, the results of the study provide evidence that structured interviews have the potential for being a useful tool for predicting who will engage in OCB in the work environment.