This study focuses on the relationships of career calling to job satisfaction in army officers. The direct and indirect (via meaning in life and meaning in work) effects of career calling on job satisfaction were investigated in 355 male army officers in China. For this purpose, structural equation modeling and bootstrap method were used. Results of confirmatory factor analysis verified the latent structures of meaning in work and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling and χ2 test indicated meaning in work and presence meaning in life partially mediated the association between career calling and job satisfaction. The bootstrap method also revealed a significant indirect path from career calling to job satisfaction through them. These findings extend previous studies and shed light on promoting job satisfaction from a positive and meaningful perspective through the effect of adaptive career calling.
AllanB. A.DouglassR. P.DuffyR. D.McCartyR. J. (2016).
Meaningful work as a moderator of the relation between work stress and meaning in life. Journal of Career Assessment,
24(3), 429–440.
2.
AndersonJ. C.GerbingD. W. (1988).
Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin,
103(3), 411.
3.
BaoL. (2015). A study of the relationship between work motivation and job engagement of employees: The mediating effect of the Meaning in work (Unpublished master’s dissertation). Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.
4.
BatemanT. S.OrganD. W. (1983).
Job satisfaction and the good soldier: The relationship between affect and employee “citizenship.” Academy of Management Journal,
26(4), 587–595. doi:10.5465/255908
5.
BellahR.MadsenR.SullivanW. M.SwidlerA.TiptonS. M. (1985). Habits of the heart.
Berkeley:
University of California Press.
6.
BolinoM. C.TurnleyW. H.GilstrapJ. B.SuazoM. M. (2010).
Citizenship under pressure: What’s a “good soldier” to do?Journal of Organizational Behavior,
31(6), 835–855. doi:10.1002/job.635
7.
BryanJ. D.AdelynB. S. (2019).
Multiple meanings of calling: Next steps for studying an evolving construct. Journal of Career Assessment,
27, 323–336. doi:10.1177/1069072717748676
8.
BulloughR. V.Hall‐KenyonK. M. (2011).
The call to teach and teacher hopefulness. Teacher Development,
15(2), 127–140.
9.
BundersonJ. S.ThompsonJ. A. (2009).
The call of the wild: Zookeepers, callings, and the double-edged sword of deeply meaningful work. Administrative Science Quarterly,
54(1), 32–57.
10.
CardadorM. T.DaneE.PrattM. G. (2011).
Linking calling orientations to organizational attachment via organizational instrumentality. Journal of Vocational Behavior,
79(2), 367–378.
11.
CreedP. A.RogersM. E.PraskovaA.SearleJ. (2014).
Career calling as a personal resource moderator between environmental demands and burnout in Australian junior doctors. Journal of Career Development,
41(6), 547–561.
12.
DavidsonJ. C.CaddellD. P. (1994).
Religion and the meaning in work. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,
33, 135–147.
13.
DikB. J.DuffyR. D. (2009).
Calling and vocation at work: Definitions and prospects for research and practice. The Counseling Psychologist,
37(3), 424–450.
14.
DobrowS. R.Tosti-KharasJ. (2011).
Calling: The development of a scale measure. Personnel Psychology,
64(4), 1001–1049.
15.
DuffyR. D.AllanB. A.BottE. M. (2012).
Calling and life satisfaction among undergraduate students: Investigating mediators and moderators. Journal of Happiness Studies,
13(3), 469–479.
16.
DuffyR. D.AllanB. A.DikB. J. (2011).
The presence of a calling and academic satisfaction: Examining potential mediators. Journal of Vocational Behavior,
79(1), 74–80. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2010.11.001
17.
DuffyR. D.AutinK. L. (2013).
Disentangling the link between perceiving a calling and living a calling. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
60(2), 219–231.
18.
DuffyR. D.BottE. M.AllanB. A.TorreyC. L.DikB. J. (2012).
Perceiving a calling, living a calling, and job satisfaction: Testing a moderated, multiple mediator model. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
59(1), 50–59. doi:10.1037/a0026129
19.
DuffyR. D.DikB. J. (2013).
Research on calling: What have we learned and where are we going?Journal of Vocational Behavior,
83(3), 428–436. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2013.06.006
20.
DuffyR. D.DikB. J.StegerM. F. (2011).
Calling and work-related outcomes: Career commitment as a mediator. Journal of Vocational Behavior,
78(2), 210–218.
21.
DuffyR. D.EnglandJ. W.DouglassR. P.AutinK. L.AllanB. A. (2017).
Perceiving a calling and well-being: Motivation and access to opportunity as moderators. Journal of Vocational Behavior,
98, 127–137. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2016.11.003
22.
DuffyR. D.SedlacekW. E.DikB. (2010).
The salience of a career calling among college students: Exploring group differences and links to religiousness, life meaning, and life satisfaction. The Career Development Quarterly,
59(1), 27–41.
23.
Fors BrandeboM.ÖsterbergJ.BerglundA. K. (2019).
The impact of constructive and destructive leadership on soldier’s job satisfaction. Psychological Reports,
122, 1068–1086. doi:10.1177/0033294118771542
24.
GrantA. M. (2007).
Relational job design and the motivation to make a prosocial difference. Academy of Management Review,
32(2), 393–417. doi:10.5465/amr.2007.24351328
25.
GrantA. M.BerryJ. W. (2011).
The necessity of others is the mother of invention: Intrinsic and prosocial motivations, perspective taking, and creativity. Academy of Management Journal,
54(1), 73–96. doi:10.5465/amj.2011.59215085
26.
GrantA. M.DuttonJ. E.RossoB. D. (2008).
Giving commitment: Employee support programs and the prosocial sensemaking process. Academy of Management Journal,
51(5), 898–918. doi:10.5465/amj.2008.34789652
27.
HallD. T.ChandlerD. E. (2005).
Psychological success: When the career is a calling. Journal of Organizational Behavior,
26(2), 155–176.
28.
HicksJ. A.SchlegelR. J.KingL. A. (2010).
Social threats, happiness, and the dynamics of meaning in life judgments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
36(10), 1305–1317.
29.
HirschfeldR. R. (2000).
Does revising the intrinsic and extrinsic subscales of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire short form make a difference?Educational and Psychological Measurement,
60(2), 255–270. doi:10.1177/00131640021970493
30.
HirschiA. (2012).
Callings and work engagement: Moderated mediation model of work meaningfulness, occupational identity, and occupational self-efficacy. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
59(3), 479–485.
31.
HuangP.ZhangT.MiaoD.ZhuX. (2014).
Acute stress responses in Chinese soldiers performing various military tasks. International Journal of Mental Health Systems,
8(1), 45.
32.
KnoopH. H.Delle FaveA. (2013). Positive psychology and cross-cultural research well-being and cultures (pp. 1–10).
New York, NY:
Springer.
33.
KossekE. E.PichlerS.BodnerT.HammerL. B. (2011).
Workplace social support and work–family conflict: A meta‐analysis clarifying the influence of general and work–family‐specific supervisor and organizational support. Personnel Psychology,
64(2), 289–313.
34.
Kung, S. (2011). The nature and experience of a teacher's calling: A case study of New Zealand early childhood teachers/teacher educators, Ph.D. Dissertation, Auckland: Auckland University of Technology.
35.
LentR. W. (2004).
Toward a unifying theoretical and practical perspective on well-being and psychosocial adjustment. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
51(4), 482–496.
36.
LevyY. (2007).
Soldiers as laborers: A theoretical model.Theory and Society,
36(2), 187–208. doi:10.1007/s11186-007-9028-y
37.
LobeneE. V.MeadeA. W. (2013).
The effects of career calling and perceived overqualification on work outcomes for primary and secondary school teachers. Journal of Career Development,
40(6), 508–530.
38.
LoxterkampD. (1996).
Hearing voices—How should doctors respond to their calling?New England Journal of Medicine,
335(26), 1991–1994. doi:10.1056/nejm199612263352611
39.
MacKinnonD. P.LockwoodC. M.WilliamsJ. (2004).
Confidence limits for the indirect effect: Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research,
39(1), 99–128.
40.
MartelaF.StegerM. F. (2016).
The three meanings of meaning in life: Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance. The Journal of Positive Psychology,
11(5), 531–545.
41.
MayD. R.GilsonR. L.HarterL. M. (2004).
The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology,
77(1), 11–37.
42.
MorrisM. G.VenkateshV. (2010).
Job characteristics and job satisfaction: Understanding the role of enterprise resource planning system implementation. MIS Quarterly,
34(1), 143.
43.
PengJ.LiD.ZhangZ.TianY.MiaoD.XiaoW.ZhangJ. (2016).
How can core self-evaluations influence job burnout? The key roles of organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Journal of Health Psychology,
21(1), 50–59. doi:10.1177/1359105314521478.
44.
PetersonC.ParkN.HallN.SeligmanM. E. (2009).
Zest and work. Journal of Organizational Behavior,
30(2), 161–172.
45.
PraskovaA.CreedP. A.HoodM. (2015).
The development and initial validation of a career calling scale for emerging adults. Journal of Career Assessment,
23(1), 91–106. doi:10.1177/1069072714523089
46.
RosM.SchwartzS. H.SurkissS. (1999).
Basic individual values, work values, and the Meaning in work. Applied Psychology,
48(1), 49–71.
47.
SchnellT. (2009).
The Sources of Meaning and Meaning in Life Questionnaire (SoMe): Relations to demographics and well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology,
4(6), 483–499.
48.
SeligmanM. E. P.SteenT. A.ParkN.PetersonC. (2005).
Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist,
60(5), 410–421. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.60.5.410
49.
SerowR. C.EakerD.CiechalskiJ. (1992).
Calling, service, and legitimacy: Professional orientations and career commitment among prospective teachers. Journal of Research & Development in Education,
25(3), 136–141.
50.
ShambaughD. (1991).
The soldier and the state in China: The political work system in the People’s Liberation Army. The China Quarterly,
127, 527–568.
51.
ShekD. T. L. (1992).
Meaning in life and psychological well-being: An empirical study using the Chinese version of the Purpose in Life Questionnaire. The Journal of Genetic Psychology,
153(2), 185–200. doi:10.1080/00221325.1992.10753712
52.
StegerM. F.DikB. J.DuffyR. D. (2012).
Measuring meaningful work: The work and meaning inventory (WAMI). Journal of Career Assessment,
20(3), 322–337.
53.
StegerM. F.FrazierP.OishiS.KalerM. (2006).
The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
53(1), 80–93.
54.
StegerM. F.KashdanT. B. (2007).
Stability and specificity of meaning in life and life satisfaction over one year. Journal of Happiness Studies,
8(2), 161–179.
55.
StegerM. F.OishiS.KashdanT. B. (2009).
Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. The Journal of Positive Psychology,
4(1), 43–52.
56.
StegerM. F.OishiS.KesebirS. (2011).
Is a life without meaning satisfying? The moderating role of the search for meaning in satisfaction with life judgments. The Journal of Positive Psychology,
6(3), 173–180.
57.
ThoitsP. A. (2012).
Role-identity salience, purpose and meaning in life, and well-being among volunteers. Social Psychology Quarterly,
75(4), 360–384.
58.
TooksoonH. M. P. (2011).
Conceptual framework on the relationship between human resource management practices, job satisfaction, and turnover. Journal of Economic and Behaviors Studies,
2, 41–49.
59.
WangL.TaoH.EllenbeckerC. H.LiuX. (2012).
Job satisfaction, occupational commitment and intent to stay among Chinese nurses: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Journal of Advanced Nursing,
68(3), 539–549.
60.
WangM.DaiX. (2008).
Chinese Meaning in Life Questionnaire revised in college students and its reliability and validity test. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology,
16(5), 459–461.
61.
WangY.PengJ. (2017).
Work–family conflict and depression in Chinese professional women: The mediating roles of job satisfaction and life satisfaction. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction,
15(2), 394–406.
62.
WeissH. M.CropanzanoR. (1996). Affective events theory: A theoretical discussion of the structure, causes and consequences of affective experiences at work. In CummingsB. M. S. L. L. (Ed.), Research in organizational behavior: An annual series of analytical essays and critical reviews (Vol. 18, pp. 1–74).
St. Louis, MO:
Elsevier Science.
63.
WongS. T.YooG. J.StewartA. L. (2006).
The changing meaning of family support among older Chinese and Korean immigrants.Journals of Gerontology: Series B,
61(1), S4–S9. doi:10.1093/geronb/61.1.S4
64.
WrzesniewskiA.McCauleyC.RozinP.SchwartzB. (1997).
Jobs, careers, and callings: People’s relations to their work. Journal of Research in Personality,
31(1), 21–33.
65.
ZhangC.HerrmannA.HirschiA.WeiJ.ZhangJ. (2015).
Assessing calling in Chinese college students: Development of a measure and its relation to hope. Journal of Career Assessment,
23(4), 582–596. doi:10.1177/1069072715595804
66.
ZhangJ.WuQ.MiaoD.YanX.PengJ. (2014).
The impact of core self-evaluations on job satisfaction: The mediator role of career commitment. Social Indicators Research,
116(3), 809–822.
