Resonant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: a moderated-mediation analysis of followers’ resilience

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relation between resonant leadership (RL) and organizational citizenship behaviors while testing for the mediation effects of followers’ resilience (FR) and gender as a moderating effect, all within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) business environment. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses cross-sectional data collected through a questionnaire from 467 employees working at various organizations in the UAE. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The mediating and moderating effects were tested using Preacher and Hayes’s (2008) macro models. Findings Results confirmed that RL positively affected employees’ organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). It also confirmed the mediating role of FR between RL and organizational citizenship behavior. Gender moderated the relation between RL and OCB but not between RL and FR. Practical implications Managers can use RL styles to improve workers’ resilience and OCB of employees, especially females. Originality/value It is important to understand the relation between such variables in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where the relationship between the leadership style of the organizational managers and employees can greatly impact employees’ behaviors and organizational performance.