How perception of training impacts organizational citizenship behavior: power distance as moderator

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perception of training, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, the study examines the moderating role of power distance on the relationship between perception of training and organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach Using stratified sampling technique, the data were obtained from 379 employees working at branches of public and private banks located in five metropolitan cities in Pakistan. To test the established hypotheses, structural equation modeling technique was adopted using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) 21.0. Findings The findings stated a significant relationship between perception of training and organizational citizenship behavior, but there was no relationship found between perception of training and organizational commitment. Moreover, organizational commitment partly mediated the relationship between perception of training and organizational citizenship behavior. The results also described that power distance moderates the relationship between perception of training and organizational commitment. Practical implications The results of the study can be beneficial for banking sector and strategy makers who have extended vision and anticipate organizational citizenship behavior from their employees. The study also offers the scope and space for the prospective researchers and scholars to carry out further research. Originality/value There is extensive literature available on the relationship between perception of training, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. However, it is observed that very few studies took the opportunity to examine the moderating role of power distance on the relationship between perception of training and organizational commitment, particularly in the context of Pakistan. Therefore, this study can be considered as original and have a great value in understanding the developed relationships in the scenario of Pakistan.