Open climate and organizational commitment as predictors of citizenship upward influence among university faculty members in Hong Kong

This study examines open climate and organizational commitment as predictors of employee citizenship upward influence (CUI) in universities in Hong Kong. A survey among faculty members (N = 140) revealed a low level of open climate and faculty CUI. Respondents preferred indirect CUI (i.e., via a third party) over active CUI. Open climate was a direct predictor of both CUI and organizational commitment. The simple positive correlation between organizational commitment and CUI appeared spurious as open climate was the common source of influence for both commitment and CUI. Practically, if the university management in Hong Kong cultivates a high level of open climate, both commitment and employee CUI will likely be enhanced. CUI can be a promising new area for organizational communication research.