Job characteristics, organizational citizenship behavior and job performance: does flexible working time matter? Evidence from the public sector

Purpose In line with the proactive motivation model, this study aims to examine how role clarity, job autonomy and task variety relate to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and employee performance in the public sector. Moreover, it explores the moderating role of flexible working time (FWT) in these relationships, particularly after the adoption of flexible work practices post-COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 257 employees in a regional public-sector organization in Italy in January 2023. The research explores the direct effects of job characteristics on OCB, the moderating role of FWT, and the mediating role of OCB on task performance. Findings Results reveal that job autonomy and task variety are positively related to OCB, while role clarity is not. FWT strengthens the effect of job autonomy on OCB but weakens the positive effect of task variety. Moreover, OCB mediates the relationship between job autonomy and task performance at higher levels of FWT, while the indirect effect of task variety on performance via OCB is significant at lower levels of FWT but attenuated as FWT increases. Originality/value This study makes significant advances regarding the antecedents, outcomes and moderators of OCB in the public sector, while responding to prior scholars in this regard. Moreover, it highlights how FWT brings both benefits and drawbacks to OCB depending on organizational design. This offers important insights into the current understanding of flexible working practices in the public sector, aligning the study to the stream of critical research on the adverse effects of flexible work arrangements.