Research on Developing Mechanism of Calling in the Context of Megaproject
Calling has become an important emerging topic of study in vocational psychology and organizational behavior.It refers to a deep sense of purpose and meaningfulness in work,demonstrating associations with numerous positive outcomes for both individuals and organizations.Understanding the process through which individuals clarify and develop a calling is critical yet challenging due to its inherently subjective and uniquely personal nature.As such,much of the existing research on calling is focused on individual level.However,the construction of meaning in one's work cannot escape the influence of others in the groups.As a result,the current body of literatures on calling have relatively little understanding about how groups contribute to shape individual callings.Thus,it is necessary to explore the developing mechanism of calling from group perspective and to explain the transformation mechanism of calling between individual and group levels.Drawing on social identity theory and considering the contextual factors of megaproject,this study constructs a dual-path developing mechanism of calling in the context of megaproject.Specifically,we reason that team cognitive diversity and team task complexity interact to influence employees'sense of uniqueness.Additionally,we identify that team member exchange and environmental uncertainty jointly affect employees'sense of belonging.Furthermore,these interactive forces,by influencing sense of uniqueness and sense of belonging,would be differentially related to calling.To empirically test our proposed moderated mediation model,we conduct a field study,collaborating with the principal of China Railway Design Corporation for data collection.We obtain access to 70 work groups,with 70 group leaders and 415 members.To avoid common method biases,this study uses multisource,multilevel and longitudinal data.At time 1,employees provide information on demographic,control variables,team member exchange,and team cognitive diversity.Meanwhile,leaders report on environmental uncertainty and team task complexity.At time 2,one month later,employees report their sense of belonging,sense of uniqueness,and calling.Finally,the dataset comprised valid responses come from 61 group leaders(net response rate is 87％)and 303 group members(net response rate is 73％).Given the nested nature of the data,we apply multilevel model to test our hypotheses.The results show that:(1)Team task complexity moderates the positive relationship between team cognitive diversity and sense of uniqueness.Specifically,when team task complexity is high,team cognitive diversity has a positive effect on sense of uniqueness.Conversely,under conditions of low team task complexity,team cognitive diversity exhibits no significant relationship with sense of uniqueness.(2)Environmental uncertainty plays a moderating role in the positive relationship between team member exchange and sense of belonging.In particular,increased environmental uncertainty amplifies the positive impact of team member exchange on sense of belonging.(3)Both the sense of uniqueness and sense of belonging are positively related to calling.Notably,within the megaproject context,the influence of the sense of belonging on calling is stronger than that of the sense of uniqueness.(4)Environmental uncertainty moderates the indirect relationship between team member exchange and calling via sense of belonging.To be specific,as environmental uncertainty increases,the strength of the indirect relationship between team member exchange and calling via sense of belonging amplifies.This study makes significant contributions in the following aspects:(1)By applying social identity theory to investigate calling,we propose that the sense of uniqueness and sense of belonging within work teams are crucial psychological motivators for developing a calling among employees.This theoretical proposition offers a novel perspective for delving into the collective origins of calling,particularly from a group-level standpoint.(2)In contrast to previous studies that primarily examined influencing factors of calling from an individual perspective,this research explores the developing and transformation mechanisms of calling at both individual and group levels.In doing so,it extends cross-level research in the field of calling,providing a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing calling.(3)Grounded in the context of megaproject and their associated social responsibilities,this study explores the differential effects of the sense of uniqueness and sense of belonging on calling,enriching research on calling in the specific context of megaproject.The managerial implications of this research are as follows:(1)In the face of complex project tasks,managers are advised to prioritize the enhancement of team cognitive diversity,providing the project team with diverse cognitive resources.This involves recruiting more employees who possess heterogeneous knowledge and skills.(2)In situations characterized by high external environmental uncertainty,creating a favorable atmosphere for high-quality team member exchange becomes essential.This atmosphere encourages employees to willingly offer assistance to others and contribute to team success.(3)Managers should take proactive measures to enhance employees'sense of uniqueness and sense of belonging.Additionally,in the context of megaproject,placing emphasis on developing employees'sense of belonging takes on heightened significance.This study provides insights for managers on how to effectively inspire employees'calling in complex and uncertainty situations of megaproject.
callingsocial identitymegaprojectcognitive diversityteam member exchange
万方数据
维普
