How does proactive personality promote calling at work? A dual-path mediation model

Abstract

In previous studies, calling mechanism as an adaptation result can be explained using the career construction theory (CCT) through the adaptive readiness and adapting response that employees have and do. However, this perspective has not accounted for external factors that might affect the adapting response impact on the formation of their calling. This study aimed at addressing this gap by using not only the CCT perspective but also the social exchange theory (SET) to see the relationship between proactive personality and individual calling through the roles of two mediators, namely job crafting and LMX. The research data were collected using an online survey involving active employees (N = 222) who have worked for at least one year in various banking industries. The data were analysed using a parallel mediation model analysis from Hayes (2017) with SPSS for Windows. The results show that proactive personality positively contributes to calling either directly or indirectly through both mediators (i.e job crafting and LMX). This dual path mediation model provides a new perspective in understanding that each job crafting and LMX has their role in explaining the mechanism of the relationship between proactive personality and the calling of the employees in their work. Therefore, this study has both theoretical and practical implications for the existing literature of calling.

What happened to your calling? The development of calling across college-to-work transition

“…Calling and proactivity were found to be positively related within and across time. Proactivity was found to promote calling through job crafting (Hanan et al, 2021;Yu et al, 2022) and to promote adaptability through calling (Wen et al, 2022). Proactive individuals are future oriented, employ goal management and are motivated by positive influences derived from perceiving situations as challenging and stimulating (Greenglass, 2002;Wanberg et al, 2000).…”