From good citizens to bad politicians: Managing the power dynamics of organizational citizenship

•Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are discretionary extra-role acts.•OCBs are thought to be selfless acts, but may be done for personal benefit.•We suggest strategic OCBs can create an indebtedness and shift the balance of power.•This enables workers to seek personal gains through informal politics.•We offer strategies for organizational leaders to manage the power of OCBs.