Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Moorman, R. H., & Fetter, R. (1990). Transformational leader behaviors and their effects on followers' trust in leader, satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 1(2), 107–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(90)90009-7
Number of items
24
Response format
7-point agreement scale (1 = Strongly disagree to 7 = Strongly agree), typically completed by the supervisor about the employee
Dimensions & subscales
Altruism (5 items) — helping specific others with work problems
Conscientiousness (5 items) — going beyond minimum role requirements
Sportsmanship (5 items; reverse-keyed) — tolerating inconveniences without complaining
Courtesy (5 items) — preventing work-related problems for others
Civic virtue (4 items) — responsible participation in organizational life
Reliability (commonly reported)
Dimension alphas are commonly reported in the .70–.85 range; sportsmanship and civic virtue are sometimes lower.
Validity evidence
Items were generated from Organ's (1988) definitions and screened by expert judges for content validity; CFA supported the five-factor structure. An enormous literature links the dimensions to leadership, justice and performance evaluations, though dimension intercorrelations are high and composites are common.
Populations & contexts
Employee–supervisor dyads across manufacturing and service settings; the most cited OCB operationalization.
Origin, translations & adaptations
United States (petrochemical company sample in the original study). Translated and used worldwide.
Licensing & permission
Free for academic research (cite the source) The items are printed in the published article and are routinely used in academic research with citation. Contact the authors/publisher for commercial use.
How to cite (APA 7)
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Moorman, R. H., & Fetter, R. (1990). Transformational leader behaviors and their effects on followers' trust in leader, satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 1(2), 107–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/1048-9843(90)90009-7
Short versions & notable variants
Many studies use dimension subsets or shortened composites; verify psychometrics before trimming