In 2023, we saw the emergence of buzzwords like “quiet quitting,” “lazy girl job,” and “bare minimum Mondays,” that emphasized the value of holding back and finding ways to be less engaged at work. To some degree this is understandable — and even commendable — because many of us struggle to find the right balance between our work and personal priorities. Although these terms have sparked considerable discussion and debate, it is unclear if this is really a new trend. For instance, if you look at the percentage of employees who are engaged, as assessed by Gallup, engagement has actually remained relatively stable — hovering around 30% for the past 20 years.
Nevertheless, it is clear that many employees are grappling with decisions about how central they want work to be in their lives, and whether being a good organizational citizen — someone who goes above and beyond by helping others, offering constructive suggestions, being available outside regular working hours when needed, supporting and defending the organization, taking on new responsibilities, and so forth—is worth it. This kind of citizenship behavior is critical for organizations to adapt and thrive, which is why so many managers are alarmed about trends that encourage employees to do the bare minimum.
As someone who has been studying “organizational citizenship behavior” for the past 25 years, I recognize the potential burden of being a good citizen. In fact, most of my research has focused on understanding these personal costs. Across multiple studies, my colleagues and I have found that engaging in citizenship can make people feel overloaded and stressed. Further, these behaviors can sometimes interfere with family life and undermine spouse satisfaction.
Employees often get tired of being a good citizen, especially if they do not feel supported by their organization and teammates, and when they feel pressured to go above and beyond (which is not uncommon given that managers and employees are often confused and conflicted about what is required and what is optional). Other studies show that being a good citizen can also make it harder to fulfill other tasks at work, which can undermine personal well-being.
What Does This Mean For Working Well?
In light of these findings, why would employees even consider giving more than the bare minimum to their employers? Perhaps because there are also many benefits of being a good organizational citizen. Most notably, and not surprisingly, managers tend to think highly of such employees and often recognize them with more rewards and better performance evaluations. Maybe more importantly, employees who go the extra mile often find their jobs more satisfying, meaningful, and energizing. Engaging in citizenship behaviors can also boost employees’ mood, thereby enhancing their well-being. Likewise, research on prosocial impact has found that helping other people (e.g., colleagues, supervisors, customers) and making a positive difference in their lives not only benefits the person being helped, but also the one doing the helping.
Based on this line of research, then, I encourage employees to be good citizens in ways that maximize the benefits and minimize the costs. That means making extra contributions that are more personally satisfying and rewarding (e.g., ones that play to your interests and strengths), going above and beyond because you have been treated well by your organization (not because you feel obligated to do so), and cutting back whenever going the extra mile is overwhelming, stressful, and creating too much interference at home. Being an engaged citizen in this way should be both more enjoyable and more sustainable, thereby benefiting employees and organizations alike.
Mark Bolino is the Michael F. Price Chair in International Business and the David L. Boren Professor Director, Management and International Business, at the University of Oklahoma.
