Background
This study introduces a rippleeffect model that links Quality of Work Life (QWL), Psychological well-being (PWB), Organizational Role Stress (ORS), and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) within Indian universities—a context seldom examined as an integrated system. The aim is to show how QWL propagates through PWB and ORS to influence faculty citizenship behavior, thereby filling a gap in multivariate stress research.

Methods
Data were collected from 303 permanent faculty members in public and private universities in West Bengal, India. Participants completed validated scales for QWL, PWB, ORS, and OCB. Dimensional scores served as indicators. Reliability was assessed via Cronbach’s α and composite reliability (all ≥ 0.82). Harman’s singlefactor test confirmed negligible commonmethod variance. Hypotheses were tested with structuralequation modeling in AMOS; the model fit was evaluated with CFI, TLI, RMSEA, and SRMR.

Results
The final model showed a good fit (CMIN/df = 1.76; CFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.05). QWL was positively associated to PWB (β = 1.00, p <.001) and negatively associated to ORS (β = − 0.15, p =.021). PWB was associated to reduced ORS (β = − 0.12, p =.002) and increased OCB (β = 0.07, p =.002). ORS has a strong negative association with OCB (β = − 0.51, p <.001). Mediation testing revealed that PWB partly mediated the QWL → ORS pathway, while ORS mediated both QWL → OCB and PWB → OCB. A sequential mediation (QWL → PWB → ORS → OCB) was also significant (β = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.023–0.108). The ripple effect model explained 63% of OCB variance.

Conclusions
This study reveals how systemic QWL improvements cascade through psychological and stress-related mechanisms to foster prosocial behaviors. It advances organizational stress theory by demonstrating these dynamics in a high-pressure academic context. Practical implications suggest prioritizing workload autonomy, and flexible policies to enhance well-being and institutional performance. The findings highlight the need for holistic, organization-level interventions over individual-focused approaches.