Leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in the financial service sector

Purpose – This research aims at investigating, for the first time in the Arab world, the influence of leadership behaviors on organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) in the Islamic banking sector. Also, it explores the role of OCB in affecting work outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The study consists of two core concepts: leadership behaviors and OCB. The sample population for the study was drawn from 150 employees working for several Islamic banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A self‐administered questionnaire was developed by combining two instruments. Findings – The findings revealed that transformational and transactional leadership styles tend to play a significant role in employees' OCB. Nonetheless, passive/avoidant leadership style plays no role of statically evidence in the relationship. Practical implications – The theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed in the paper, together with some recommendations for managing leadership and OCB in the service sector. Originality/value – The paper examines for the first time the links between leadership and OCB in the Islamic banking sector of the UAE and the Arabic context.