Calling and work-related outcomes : career commitment as a mediator and person-supervisor fit and perceived organizational support as moderators

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Career takes up a great portion in our lives as people in the modern society spend most of their time occupied with work. Despite the considerable hours people spend at work, it has been reported that Korean workers show significantly low level of satisfaction for both work and life as well as world’s highest level of job stress. Such a phenomenon could stem from a heavy emphasis on work position and wage rather than psychological reward and meaning of work, as well as from competition with colleagues. Considering this, focusing on the fundamental meaning and value of work deemed necessary, and thus the present research examined the concept of calling and its role in organizational context.
A survey was administered to 349 salespersons in a pharmaceutical company. The relationship among calling, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and job stress was examined using structural equation modeling, and the mediating effect of career commitment was also examined within the relationship. In addition, group differences in the research model were examined according to the levels of person-supervisor fit (P-S fit) and perceived organizational support (POS).
Results are as follows. First, in an attempt to analyze the mediating effect of career commitment in the relationship between calling and organizational commitment, OCB, and job stress, the partial mediation model was accepted since it showed a better fit compared to the full mediation model. Second, calling had a direct positive effect on organizational commitment and OCB. Third, career commitment mediated the relationship of calling with both organizational commitment and job stress, but not with OCB. Specifically, career commitment had a partial mediating effect with organizational commitment and a full mediating effect with job stress. Forth, when two groups based on the scores of to P-S fit were compared, career commitment had a greater effect on organizational commitment when P-S fit was high rather than low. However, in terms of calling, it had a greater effect on organizational commitment and OCB when P-S fit was low. Fifth, when two groups based on POS were compared, career commitment had greater a effect on organizational commitment and OCB in the group of high perceived organizational support. That is, when members in the organization perceive low level of support, the effect that career commitment had on both organizational commitment and OCB was reduced, and the level of job stress was increased. In terms of calling, however, it had a greater effect on organizational commitment and OCB in the circumstance of low POS. Lastly, when examined whether the relationship among career commitment, subjective career success, and life satisfaction differed depending on the existence of calling, the interaction between career commitment and calling was statistically significant and the moderating effect of calling was confirmed.
The present study has its implications for adding empirical support to the field of calling which has remained mostly theoretical research. In addition, the findings provided a new perspective in calling research by examining the mediating effect of career commitment as well as moderating effect of person-supervisor fit and perceived organizational support within the relationship among calling, job attitude, behavioral and psychological variables. Results highlights the importance of discovering and pursuing calling in both individual and organizational levels. Moreover, it implies that it is necessary to consider organizational members‘ characteristics and to acknowledge their efforts as well as sacrifice in order to provide members with the belief in their organizations. Directions for future research and limitations are also discussed.