Motivating language and organizational citizenship behavior: the role of job satisfaction, affective commitment and perceived voice opportunity

Manuscript code article-28268
DOI 10.1108/jts-01-2026-0011
Keywords: Motivating language Organizational citizenship behavior Perceived voice opportunity Affective commitment Job satisfaction Emerging economy Organizational sustainability

Abstract

PurposeDrawn on an integrated model of motivating language theory and social exchange theory, this study examines how leaders' motivating language (LML) influences two forms of organizational citizenship behaviors directed toward individuals (OCBI) and toward the organization (OCBO) through the mediating roles of job satisfaction and affective commitment, and the moderating role of perceived voice opportunity.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 572 full-time employees in Vietnam who reported to a direct manager. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsResults show that LML positively influences job satisfaction, affective commitment, OCBI and OCBO. The study confirms the partial mediation effects of job satisfaction and affective commitment. Additionally, perceived voice opportunity positively moderates the relationships between job satisfaction and OCBO, and between affective commitment and OCBO.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the LML literature by simultaneously examining job satisfaction and affective commitment as parallel mediators linking LML to differentiated forms of OCB, clarifying the dual attitudinal architecture through which motivating language activates reciprocity. By incorporating perceived voice opportunity as a contextual boundary condition, this study extends motivating language theory beyond its original focus on leader-to-follower communication by showing that LML's behavioral effects depend on organizational context. By focusing on Vietnam, a high-power distance, collectivistic emerging economy, this study also broadens the understanding of leader communication's impact on OCB beyond Western settings, offering practical insights for managers and policymakers in rapidly developing economies.

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Authors

Le, Bao Ngoc Department of Marketing, Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam Le, Huyen Trang The Business School, RMIT University, Hanoi, Vietnam

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Published August 9, 2026
Ngày nộp bài August 9, 2026
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DOI: 10.1108/jts-01-2026-0011

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