The relationship between social intelligence and organizational citizenship: A case study of Libraries of Isfahan's Public Universities

Objectives: Organizational citizenship behavior is behavior that is consciously and voluntarily performed and is not directly reinforced by the formal organizational reward system and generally improves the effectiveness of the organization. Librarians in libraries showed organizational citizenship behavior, and this behavior affects their attitudes, behaviors, and interactions in order to provide more and more quality services. Librarians, as members of society, also have a social intelligence, and this intelligence can affect library services and functions and user satisfaction. Therefore, the present study investigated the situation and relationship between social intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior among the librarians of public university libraries in Isfahan city.

Methodology: The current research is based on the objective, applied; and in terms of methodology, descriptive and correlational research. The statistical population of the research consisted of 101 librarians of public university libraries in Isfahan in 2023, and 76 librarians were examined as a statistical sample using the Cochran formula and using the stratified random sampling method proportional to volume. To collect data, the Amini Abchoye organizational citizenship behavior questionnaire (2015) based on the dimensions of the Podsakov et al. (2000) model and the Silvera et al. (2001) social intelligence questionnaire were used. The reliability of the two questionnaires was calculated by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for social intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior as 0.84 and 0.9, respectively. Also, descriptive and inferential statistical tests and analyses were used to analyze the collected data, including mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation tests, t-tests. Independent samples and one-way analysis of variance in SPSS version 26 were used to examine the research hypotheses.

Findings: The findings of the research showed that the status of social intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior of librarians in public university libraries in Isfahan city is at a higher than average level (x=3) and there is a positive and significant relationship between librarians' social intelligence and their organizational citizenship behavior. The correlation coefficient between these two variables was 0.51, which indicates a moderate intensity of the relationship. Also, all dimensions of social intelligence (social information processing, social skills, and social awareness) also have a positive and significant relationship with seven dimensions of organizational citizenship behavior (sportsmanship, organizational compliance, helping behaviors, organizational loyalty, civic virtue, self development, and individual initiative). The Pearson correlation coefficient for the relationships of each of the three dimensions of social intelligence with organizational citizenship behavior was obtained for the dimensions of social information processing, social skills, and social awareness as 0.441, 0.285, and 0.545, respectively. Among the three dimensions of social intelligence, the dimensions of social awareness and social skills have the highest and lowest correlation with organizational citizenship behavior, respectively. The findings also showed that there is no significant difference between social intelligence and organizational citizenship behavior of librarians based on their demographic variables including age, service experience, gender, field of study, place of service, and level of education from the perspective of librarians of Isfahan University libraries, and they expressed the same opinions.

Conclusion: The present study showed that librarians' social intelligence has a positive relationship and correlation with their organizational citizenship behavior; therefore, social intelligence can act as an influential factor on organizational citizenship behavior. Strengthening librarians' social intelligence increases the occurrence of organizational citizenship behaviors in them. Those librarians who engage in organizational citizenship behaviors are actually taking steps towards achieving the library's goals and will overall increase the productivity and effectiveness of the library. It is suggested that managers and officials of university libraries in Isfahan implement programs and strategies such as holding courses, workshops, encouraging employees to do group activities and learn social intelligence skills, and creating an environment to increase employee participation and communication in order to increase the social intelligence of their librarians in order to improve their organizational citizenship behaviors.