Psychological Safety and Subjective Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Organizational Identification and Organizational Citizenship Behavior among Generation Z Employees

Abstract

Background: Gen Z employees face various workplace dynamics that affect their well-being. Objective: This study investigates how organizational identification and organizational citizenship behavior mediate the influence of psychological safety on subjective well-being. Methods: A total of 402 Generation Z employees working in Indonesia participated in this research. The study adopted a quantitative, non-experimental design with convenience sampling. Data were obtained via an online survey utilizing self-report questionnaire instruments. Hypotheses were evaluated through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using SmartPLS 4 software. Results: The findings revealed that psychological safety has a statistically significant effect on subjective well-being. Moreover, organizational identification was found to partially mediate the influence of psychological safety on subjective well-being. Additionally, organizational citizenship behavior did not serve as a mediator in the association between psychological safety and subjective well-being. The serial mediation through organizational identification and organizational citizenship behavior was also unsupported, as organizational citizenship behavior did not demonstrate a significant impact on subjective well-being among Gen Z employees. Conclusion: These outcomes suggest that organizations should place emphasis on establishing a psychologically safe climate as a basis for reinforcing employee organizational attachment, which subsequently contributes to enhancing the subjective well-being of Generation Z employees.