Innovation is increasingly becoming a common practice within Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)to improve performance. In China, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential drivers of economic growth, job creation, and innovation. Representing over 99% of all businesses, they contribute significantly to China’s GDP, employment, and technological advancement. SMEs account for about 60% of the country's GDP and 80% of urban employment. This study explores the mediating role of Job Satisfaction in the relationship between Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and innovation performance within SMEs. The study employs a quantitative research design, utilizing survey data collected from 200 SMEs across various industries. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the proposed relationships among OCB, job satisfaction, and innovation performance. These results underline the critical role of job satisfaction as a psychological state that bridges OCB and innovation performance.
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