The blessings and curses of job stress: Exploring the job stress – OCB/CWB Nexus among Ghanaian bankers

Abstract

There have been mixed and inconclusive findings about the relationship between job stress and voluntary behaviour universally. Drawing from the social exchange and conservation resource theories, this study examines the relationship between job stress and the organizational citizenship behaviour, OCB and counterproductive work behaviour, CWB among Ghanaian bankers. A sample of 363 Ghanaian bankers from 18 commercial banks in Ghana were used for the study. The study found a significant negative relationship between job stress and the citizenship behaviour of the bankers. Though a cause and effect relationship was found between job stress and unproductive behaviours, the relationship was negative. The study explained this finding on the basis of more Millennials entering today’s work environment. This study is the first to examine the job stress – voluntary behaviour nexus in the Ghanaian banking sector and thus has practical implications for the sector. © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019.