Psychological capital as a moderator in the relationship between occupational stress and organisational citizenship behaviour among Nigerian graduate employees

Abstract

Orientation: It is a documented fact that occupational stress is widespread worldwide. Moreover, there are clear signs of many variables that affect Nigerian graduate employees, which are most likely to cause severe occupational stress, and this, in turn, could negatively affect employees and their organisational ability to demonstrate citizenship behaviour.

Research purpose: The purpose of this study was twofold: firstly, to examine the nature of relationship between occupational stress and organisational citizenship behaviour, and, secondly, to investigate whether psychological capital significantly moderates the relationship between occupational stress and organisational citizenship behaviour.

Motivation for the study: The study was conducted to demonstrate whether the presence of psychological capital could result in a better level of employee performance, even as employees experience a certain level of occupational stress. In view of the above, the study might have contributed to form a new model of psychological intervention for occupational stress and organisational citizenship behaviour.

Research approach/design and method: The study adopted the positivist explanatory cross-sectional (survey) research design to systematically sample opinions of 1532 male and female graduate employees across various sectors of the Nigerian economy, using a structured and validated questionnaire and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

Main findings: The results showed that there was a weak positive relationship between occupational stress and organisational citizenship behaviour. Psychological capital significantly moderated the relationship between occupational stress and organisational citizenship behaviour.

Practical/managerial implications: Human resource managers should develop psychological capital in employees in order to increase the level of organisational performance and reduce the negative impact of occupational stress.

Contribution/value-add: Recommendations of the study could assist in training and developing effective workforce capacity towards improving the economy of the nation.