Fostering Extra-Role Behavior: The Mediating Role of Workplace Happiness in the Relationship between Inclusive Leadership and OCB among Generation Z Employees

The rise of quiet quitting in the post-pandemic era reflects a decline in voluntary or extra-role behavior across various occupational sectors. Employees, particularly those from Generation Z, have become increasingly selective toward workplaces that foster engagement, psychological well-being, and open leadership. This condition urges organizations to adopt leadership styles that are more participative and employee well-being–oriented. This study aims to analyze the influence of inclusive leadership on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) through workplace happiness as a mediating variable. The research employed a quantitative approach using a survey method involving 420 Generation Z employees from various service and technology organizations in Indonesia. The instruments used included the Inclusive Leadership Scale, the Workplace Happiness Scale, and the OCB Scale, all of which were adapted to the Indonesian context. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a bootstrapping technique of 5,000 samples via JASP version 0.18. The findings indicate that inclusive leadership has a significant positive effect on both workplace happiness (? = 0.46, p < 0.001) and OCB (? = 0.38, p < 0.001). Furthermore, workplace happiness partially mediates the relationship between inclusive leadership and OCB. These results highlight the importance of supportive, fair, and diversity-appreciating leadership in enhancing psychological well-being and prosocial behavior among young employees. This study contributes to the development of industrial and organizational psychology by emphasizing the role of inclusive leadership in fostering a collaborative and sustainable work culture in the Generation Z era.