Fostering Innovation Through Culture: The Role Of Citizenship Behavior In Organizations

Abstract

This study investigates the role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in fostering workplace innovation, emphasizing the mediating effect of organizational culture. Conducted within the public sector context of BKPSDM Indragiri Hilir Regency, Indonesia, the research responds to the limited understanding of how discretionary employee behavior contributes to innovation in bureaucratic environments. Using a quantitative, causal research design, data were collected through a census of 87 civil servants and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The findings reveal that OCB significantly and positively influences both organizational culture and innovation. Furthermore, organizational culture mediates the relationship between OCB and innovation, indicating that prosocial behaviors foster cultural conditions conducive to creativity and change. This study contributes to the literature on innovation management by explicitly positioning organizational culture as a mediating variable, particularly within hierarchical and collectivist public sector settings. Unlike previous research that treated culture as a background factor, this work highlights its centrality in translating individual initiative into collective innovation. From a practical standpoint, the results suggest that public managers should promote and reward OCB while simultaneously cultivating cultural attributes such as openness, collaboration, and risk tolerance. These dual efforts can significantly enhance institutional innovation capacity.