• Conceptualizes SUOCB as a novel multidimensional extension of OCB grounded in sustainability. • Integrates environmental, social, and economic citizenship behaviors within a unified Triple Bottom Line framework. • Develops and validates a rigorously tested SUOCB scale using PRISMA–SALSA and dual-phase empirical design. • Resolves fragmentation in OCB–sustainability research by establishing SUOCB as a distinct, higher-order construct. • Positions employee discretionary behavior as a central mechanism for advancing organizational sustainability. This study aims to develop and validate a novel construct, Sustainability-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior (SUOCB), which captures employees’ discretionary behaviors across the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Although prior research on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has predominantly emphasized environmental actions, it has largely overlooked the integration of these behaviors within the broader Triple Bottom Line framework. Accordingly, this study addresses this gap by conceptualizing SUOCB as a multidimensional, higher-order construct at the employee level. To achieve these objectives, the study adopts a multi-stage research design. Initially, a systematic literature review of 245 articles published between 2000 and 2025 was conducted using PRISMA and SALSA approaches to establish a robust conceptual foundation. Building on these insights, a new measurement scale was developed and subsequently validated using survey data collected from full-time employees across diverse sectors in Lebanon. The empirical validation process comprised a pilot study (n = 104) followed by a main study (n = 205), utilizing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings provide strong empirical support for SUOCB as a reliable and valid higher-order construct encompassing green, social, and economic citizenship behaviors. Furthermore, the results confirm that SUOCB is both conceptually and empirically distinct from traditional OCB, thereby offering a more comprehensive framework for understanding employees’ contributions to sustainability. Overall, this study contributes to the organizational behavior and sustainability literature by introducing one of the first empirically validated multidimensional measures of sustainability-oriented discretionary behavior, while also providing a solid foundation for future research and supporting organizations in advancing ESG-aligned practices.
Abbani et al. (Mon,) studied this question.