Compulsory citizenship behaviour and job outcome among unpaid interns: the buffering role of perceived co-worker support

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to examine the moderating influence of perceived co-worker support in the nexus between compulsory citizenship behaviour, job involvement and social loafing amongst university interns.

Design/methodology/approach

Four hundred and sixty-two) respondents took part in the study by completing a self-reported questionnaire distributed via online WhatsApp platform. The respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. The data were processed and analysed using IBM SPSS version 24 and PLS-SEM, respectively.

Findings

Results reveal interns’ experience of compulsory citizenship behaviour positively influences their social loafing and negatively influences their job involvement. Furthermore, the support received from co-workers’ reduces the negative influence of compulsory citizenship behaviour on interns’ (1) social loafing and (2) job involvement.

Research limitations

The study’s main limitations have been identified as the type of organisation in which the internship was completed and the number of years of internship experience. Future research may seek to address this problem by obtaining data from a cohort that is categorised based on the nature of the organisation and duration of the internship.

Practical implications

Perceived co-worker support has been found to reduce the negative effects of interns’ compulsory citizenship behaviour on their job outcomes. It is recommended that organisations establish a supportive work environment to assist interns. This can be achieved through various means, such as engaging in team-building activities and assigning mentors, among other strategies.

Originality/value

One of the first to have examined a model linking compulsory citizenship behaviour, job involvement, social loafing and perceived co-worker support amongst interns in a higher education environment.

Citation

Azila-Gbettor, E.M., Mensah, C. and Abiemo, M.K. (2024), "Compulsory citizenship behaviour and job outcome among unpaid interns: the buffering role of perceived co-worker support", Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 55-75. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-01-2023-0006