The Effect of Organizational Virtuousness on Organization Spontaneity; Testing the Mediating Role of Organizational Identity (Case Study: Staffs of Lorestan University)

Although the modern business world is rapidly expanding from many competitive aspects, it unfortunately pays little attention to issues such as organizational virtuousness (Moshabaki Esfahani & Rezaei, 2014: 22). Organizational virtuousness and organizational spontaneity as a moral and transcendental aspect of the organization have been somewhat understated. In this research, we try to introduce these two aspects of the organization. One of the higher aspects in an organization that is not related to spontaneity is organizational virtue (Rego, Ribeiro & Cunha, 2010, p. 216). It has been considered recently due to its effective role in organizations and especially its impact on employee performance (Cameron, Bright, & Caza, 2004, p. 780). In an organization which is perceived as virtuous, employees believe that their organization has attractive values and beliefs that may incorporate their organizational membership into their social identity. These social identity processes can play an important role in explaining the relationship between perceived organizational virtuousness (POV) and employee outcomes – if one considers their association with employee outcomes (Blader & Tyler, 2009; Cole & Bruch, 2006; Restubog et al., 2008; Riketta, 2005). The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct and indirect effects of POV on organizational spontaneity. The assumed indirect effect is investigated through the social identity perspective. As such, organizational identification, pride and respect are examined as mediators of the POV-spontaneity relationship.  The following is a summary of the variables:  organizational spontaneity is a construct capturing extra role and active positive employee behaviors, and is different from that of organizational citizenship behavior which does not exclude role-prescribed and passive employee behaviors as organizational spontaneity does (George & Brief, 1992). Social identity is a multidimensional concept incorporating a cognitive component; that is, identification and two evaluative components, which according to Tyler and Blader (2003) are pride and respect. Pride reflects employees’ evaluation of the status of their group (e.g. organization), and respect refers to employees’ evaluation of their own status within their group (e.g. organization) (Blader & Tyler, 2009). Organizational virtuousness “is intimately tied to what is good to and for human beings” (Cameron, 2003, p. 50). Virtuousness has inherent values and is not subservient to the desire to gain profits (Cameron & Winn, 2012). Organizational virtuousness refers to a constellation of virtues in the aggregate, as organizations, similar to individuals, display more than one virtue (Cameron & Winn, 2012).

The current research is an applied one by means of purpose, and descriptive and correlational in terms of data gathering method. The research population consists of the staffs of Lorestan University. Using Cochran formula, a sample of 220 individuals was selected and participants were selected by stratified random sampling. The sampling method is random. Gathering the data was conducted by literature review and field study. To attain model fit and test of the hypotheses, structural equation modeling method and the third version of smart PLS were applied.

To measure reliability, composed reliability and Chronbach's alpha were exploited which both were appropriate. To designate validity, the average variance was used and implied that the current research verifies the model goodness of fit. The quotients of R2 and Q2 criteria were used to examine the structural model fit. The amount of R2 and Q2 for the constructs of respect, pride, social identity and organizational spontaneity are, respectively, 0.288, 0.462, 0.657, 0.663 and 0.345, 0.281, 0.289, 0.292. Considering fitness of measurement and structural components of the model, the overall model fit was extracted by index of GOF=0.40 that is the strong fitness of the research model.Once the T amounts are in the range of more than 1.96, the related parameters are significant and the hypotheses are verified (Tenenhaus, & Amato, 2010). The study accumulates further evidence that treating employees with care and respect can bring benefits to organizations. Perceiving organizational virtuousness makes employees identify their organization and view organizational successes as their own. Thus, they become more willing to benefit the organization.
Employees should feel that the organization creates an environment of organizational virtuousness. When employees perceive that their managers consistently work to promote social betterment and have positive human impact, they are more likely to identify the organization and be more willing to support it. Organizations should incorporate specific goals to facilitate and promote virtuous acts in organizations. Managers and employees who consistently promote integrity, compassion, and/or forgiveness should be rewarded, and virtuous acts should be communicated