Alumni Citizenship Behavior (ACB): Understanding Its Antecedents, Dimensions, Mechanisms and Consequences

Abstract

This three-essay mixed-methods dissertation develops the concept of alumni citizenship behavior (ACB), informed by insights from organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). It introduces the Alumni Citizenship Behavior (ACB) framework, highlighting experiences with the organization as key antecedents, the emotions elicited by those experiences as the mechanisms driving the behavior, and the consequences of the behavior for the organization and its members. Essay 1 examines empirical evidence to support the ACB framework through a systematic review of the literature about alumni engagement. The review finds disproportionate attention given to the antecedents, with less emphasis on the mechanisms, and negligible focus on the consequences or impact of alumni engagement in existing scholarship. The results highlight the importance of adopting the ACB framework for research in advancing the understanding of the nature of alumni behavior. Essay 2 uses interviews to conceptualize alumni citizenship behavior from the perspectives of alumni. The findings suggest that ACB is an “expected behavior” of alumni as “citizens” of the university. ACB comprises various forms of alumni support to the university and its community, with consequences at the individual, unit, and organizational levels. Essay 3 employs inductive and deductive methods to develop an Alumni Citizenship Behavior (ACB) Scale through a sequential process involving a literature review, interviews, expert reviews, cognitive interviews, and an exploratory survey of alumni. Findings from this survey suggest the possible multidimensionality of the ACB construct. The dissertation represents the first known holistic effort to broaden the understanding of alumni behavior through the lens of organizational citizenship behavior. It offers practical insights for cultivating, soliciting, stewarding, and reinforcing alumni citizenship behavior for the benefit of universities and their members.