Effective organizational performances depend on many different factors and patterns. One of these patterns is organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). OCB has effects on organizational climate and improves employees’ performance. Several researches administrated to investigate the relationship between OCB with job characteristics (JCs). The results were different. One category of variables that probably cause different results is mediators such as psychological needs. Hackman and Oldham (1976) purposed a model that can be used for explaining OCB. They originally proposed a model in which a set of core JC impact on critical psychological states, which in turn, influence a set of affective and motivational outcomes such as OCB. The aim of this research is to investigate the mediating role of basic psychological needs in relation between JCs and OBCs by a causal model. Participants were 313 employees between 20 to 60 years old, from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in northwestern of Iran. They were selected from different organizational status including low and middle experts and manageress. 3 paper-and-pencil inventories were administered to the participants individually: basic psychological needs scale from Broeck and et al, JC scale from Hackman and Oldham, and OCB scale from Podsakoff et al. The reliability and validity of all scales were verified in Iran and their original references. Scales were filling by participants individually. For analyzing data and testing hypothesis and per posed model, the Pearson correlation coefficients computed and the proposed model were also examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results showed that correlation coefficients among all components of basic psychological needs with all components of JC were statistically significant (p<0.05), except relatedness and skill variety. In relations of dimensions of basic psychological needs and OCBs, civic virtue and sportsmanship were related to all of the needs (p<0.05), but autonomy did not relate to other components of JC dimensions. Results of SEM show that per posed model was fitted to data (c² = 135.20, c²/df = 2.29, df=59, p<0.01, GFI = .86, AGFI = .78, RMSEA = .099). In this model, nondirective path was more strength and significance (p<0.05). It means that relation between JC and OCB was affected by basic psychological needs. Based on the results, we can claim that organizations and managers should attend to both psychological states and job variables, for increasing performance and OCBs.

Keywords