The relation of charismatic leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: The role of 'tenure' and 'salary' variables

Abstract

Expanded abstract

The competitive environment of present day, active and efficient work of the organizations depend on their extra role behavior works than their in role behavior. Showing extra role behavior is stated as OCB.

On the other hand, active leadership is mentioned when the workers contribute to production and/or services willingly not because of their being forced. One's running the feelings of subordinates and identifying himself by using his own personal features and power is one of leadership types called charismatic leadership and its effect is the result of the effort of being similar to the leader in organizational literature. The positive effects of charismatic leadership on performance indicators are pointed out. 

There are many studies in literature on the subject that charismatic leadership perception causes an increase in organizational performance and forms organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on workers. But in literature, tenure and salary variables are not considered together. If charismatic leadership is thought as element of leader-follower interaction, it is thought that tenure in the organization can affect the relation of charismatic leadership perception and OCB. In the same way, for our country especially for blue collar workers the main motivation source is salary variable. For that reason, it is supposed that salary variable can affect the relation of charismatic leadership perception and OCB. Accordingly, this study is improved to investigate the effect of "tenure" and "salary" variables on relation of charismatic leadership and OCB.

Study is carried out with 316 workers in five different textile factories in İstanbul and Konya. Study is done with participants of thirty different kind of work in textile sector. The average age of participants is 26. Most of the participants (247 persons) are under 28 (78.2%), in primary education level (204 persons; 64.6%), single (155 persons 49.1%) and man (162 persons, 52.3%). Average tenure of the participants is 4 years. The salary changes between 350 New Turkish Liras (NTL) and 2000 NTL. Major part includes the participants whose salary changes between 550-1000 NTL (15 persons; 49,7%).

Two scales are used in the study. One of them is Organizational Citizenship behavior. Organizational Citizenship behavior questions are formed with the scale which is described by Organ (1988) and improved by Padsakoff and et all. (1990). Translation into Turkish is done before (İşbaşı, 2000). The scale is used in both at home and abroad (Moorman, 1991; MacKenzie et al., 1991; İşbaşı, 2000; Kase et al., 2003). Scale consists of 24 items and categorized with a 5-Likert scale (1=never; 5=always). Sportsmanship questions are coded inversely. Cronbach Alpha values of the scale is between; .70-.85. Scale questions as a result of factor analysis consist altruism (α= .7931; 3 question), conscientiousness (α= .8309; 3 questions), courtesy (α= .83.72; 3 questions), civil virtue (α=.7774; 2 questions) and sportsmanship (α=.6086; 3 questions) dimensions and reliability values.

Another scale used in this study is Charismatic Leadership scale. This scale is taken from the study of Conger and Kanungo (1994). Canger-Kanungo (C-K) charismatic leadership scale is categorized with a 6-Likert scale (1= no features; 6= has all the features). Reliability coefficient (Cronbach Alpha) value is between, .88-.91. In the scale which has 25 questions. The questions about "maintain status quo" is coded inversely. In our study as a result of factor analysis scale questions are constituted, vision formulation (α=7993; 3 questions), environmental sensitivity (α=7417; 3 questions), unconventional behaviors (α= .7556; 3 questions), personal risk (α=.848; 3 questions), sensitivity to member needs (α= .82433; questions), does not maintain status quo (α=7217; 2 questions) dimensions and reliability values. The scale is translated into Turkish before (Oktay and Gül,2003), and in home and abroad it is used in many studies and found valid variables (Oktay and Gül, 2003; Canger, Kanungo and Menon, 1999; Jens and Martin, 2008). Data are coded with SPSS packet program; descriptive statics, factor analysis, correlation and simple and hierarchic regression analysis are applied.

As a result of this study, a positive and meaningful relation is found between charismatic leadership and OCB. This is the same result as in the literature. According to this, it is expected that workers accept their leader charismatic; show organizational citizenship behavior, in other words, it is expected they spend up more power for that organization for their role definitions.

Other important result of this study  is that a negative relation is found between tenure and in the relation of charismatic leadership and OCB. This means while the effect of charismatic leadership perception of the new workers is high on OCB, by the increase in tenure this effect decreases.
Another meaningful result is that salary has a positive relation in the relation of charismatic leadership and OCB. This is an appropriate result with literature. Tenure, in developing countries is still a motivation source. Participants, being mostly blue collar workers increase the importance level of this. Research is as it is expected that the relation between OCB and charismatic leadership perception is found meaningful.

Separately, as a result; while the effect of OCB on charismatic leadership perception is high, with tenure which affects negatively and salary which affects positively, variables this affect is decreased.

The limitation of our study is because it is done in two different cities and the numbers of the participants are limited. In next studies, if performance evaluation and job satisfaction are added to the study, the relation between OCB and charismatic leadership will be studied from many different dimensions.