Citizenship Behavior and the Creation of Social Capital in Organizations

Previous research on organizational citizenship behavior indicates that such behavior is critical for organizational effectiveness, but little theoretical work details how it might contribute to enhanced organizational functioning. Overall, previous research indicates that social capital is an important resource because individuals work together more effectively and efficiently when they know one another, understand one another, and trust and identify with one another. Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998) argue that a firm's social capital comprises a critical source of sustainable organizational advantage. Based on their work, it is suggested that citizenship behaviors enhance firm functioning by contributing to the development of social capital in organizations; specifically, citizenship behaviors contribute to the creation of structural, relational, and cognitive forms of social capital.