The Effect of Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) and Job Satisfaction on Organizational Citizenship Behavior Among Generation Z Employees in The Food and Beverage Industry in Central Jakarta, With Organizational Commitment as A Mediating Variable

Abstract

This study examines the effect of Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) and job satisfaction on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) among Generation Z employees in the Food and Beverage (F&B) industry in Central Jakarta, with organizational commitment as a mediating variable. The study was motivated by the strategic economic role of the F&B sector in Jakarta, along with challenges such as high employee turnover, quiet quitting, and the gap between Generation Z employees’ expectations of supportive leadership and their actual workplace experiences. This study employed a quantitative approach with descriptive and causal research designs, using purposive sampling to collect data from 217 Generation Z employees through an online questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results indicate that Leader–Member Exchange and job satisfaction each have a positive and significant effect on both organizational commitment and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB). Organizational commitment also has a positive and significant effect on OCB and significantly mediates the relationship between each of the two exogenous variables and OCB. These findings indicate that high-quality leader–subordinate relationships and greater job satisfaction enhance employees’ voluntary extra-role behavior both directly and indirectly by strengthening their emotional attachment and commitment to the organization. This study contributes theoretically by integrating LMX and job satisfaction into a single mediation model within the underexplored context of Generation Z employees in Indonesia’s F&B industry. Practically, this research provides implications for human resource management strategies aimed at strengthening organizational commitment and sustaining citizenship behavior among young employees in the service sector.