This study examines the association between impression management and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), along with the extent to which reciprocity, honesty–humility, and job insecurity shape this relationship. Using data collected from 710 contractual faculty members employed in public and private universities across Southern Punjab, Pakistan, a comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate respondents’ behavioral inclinations. The findings indicate that impression management mediates the relationships between OCB and its antecedents, while power distance (PD) moderates the link between impression management and OCB. As anticipated, reciprocity, honesty–humility, and job insecurity exhibited significant positive effects on OCB through the mediating mechanism. However, job insecurity demonstrated a negative direct association with both the mediator and OCB. Moreover, no significant mean differences were observed between faculty members from public and private institutions. The study outlines key implications for policymakers and offers directions for future research.
