admin
Business Reporter
The global corporate sector has embraced employee citizenship behaviour, which seeks to acknowledge and reward employees who demonstrate exceptional citizenship behaviours.
Also known as Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB), the concept is not yet very popular in Zimbabwe though widely studied in psychology.
Leading manufacturer and distributor of spreads, preserves snacks and canned fruits, puree and paste, Associated Foods Zimbabwe (AFZ), has established the nexus between employee citizenship behaviour and the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Through its Environmental Sustainability and Governance (ESG) initiatives and farmer out-grower programme, AFZ is promoting employment creation and strengthening social infrastructure in a bid to mainstream women and youth participation in the economy in line with the objectives of NDS1.
“AFZ initiated ESG programmes aimed at sustainability value creation and achieving economic transformation through the creation of a thriving capacity building out-grower-sector, open and competitive economy, and a business-friendly environment for our employees, suppliers and other stakeholders,” said Dr Emmanuel Katsvamutima, AFZ managing director.
Dr Katsvamutima was speaking at the launch of a campaign titled: “I’m Associated Foods Zimbabwe”, running under the theme “It’s Either I win or We Win Together” as part of the employee citizenship programme.
“The campaign is coming with a series of ESG initiatives such as community impact engagement and capacity building, CSR, employee recognition such as long service awards and gender balance perspective initiatives targeting women impacting communities and the environment,” said Dr Katsvamutima.
The concept of employee citizenship refers to the behavior and actions of employees that go beyond their job responsibilities and contribute positively to the organisation and its overall success.
“Citizenship inside AFZ shall be vital because it shall foster a culture of excellence and participation. When AFZ employees have the autonomy to take responsibility for their work and go above their job description, they feel valued, respected, and appreciated.
This has a favourable impact on all members of AFZ, including employees, customers, and other stakeholders,” said Dr Katsvamutima.
Managing Consultant of Industrial Psychology Consultants Memory Nguwi said employee citizenship encompasses voluntary actions and behaviours that are not explicitly required by job descriptions or formal policies, but have a positive impact on the workplace environment, colleagues, customers, and the organization as a whole.
“These behaviours are discretionary and reflect an employee’s willingness to go above and beyond their basic job requirements. Mainly impact the organization’s brand and reputation if extended beyond the organization. It’s not a popular concept in Zimbabwe although heavily studied in Psychology,” said Nguwi.
He added that there were several best practices that organisations can follow to foster and promote employee citizenship which include leadership support.
“Leadership plays a crucial role in setting the tone and expectations for employee citizenship. Leaders should demonstrate and model the desired behaviours themselves, communicate the importance of employee citizenship, and actively support and recognise employees who exhibit these behaviours.
Recognition and Rewards: Establish recognition programmes that acknowledge and reward employees who demonstrate exceptional citizenship behaviours.
“This can include verbal, written recognition, awards, or other incentives that align with your organization’s culture and values,” according to Mr Nguwi.
Dr Katsvamutima said AFZ is launching the “I AM Associated Foods Zimbabwe” programme as a critical management tool aimed to foster a culture of citizen service in employees and to encourage the value of teamwork.
“To give impetus to these critical objectives, projects with meaningful and sustainable impact in communities where the company operates were supported through the “I AM Associated Foods Zimbabwe” campaign.
The project was designed to ensure the transfer of useful life skills in employees to communities and to strengthen our relationships with all stakeholders we deal with as part of the Environmental Sustainability and Governance initiative,” he added.
“I Am Associated Foods Zimbabwe culture is anything that AFZ employees do, out of their own free will, that supports their colleagues, communities as a social responsibility and benefits the organisation as a whole. It is taking responsibility, ownership of the brand, business or environment.”
Online Reporter