Abstract
AbstractWhile the job characteristics model has generally portrayed a positive relation between job autonomy and work outcomes, researchers have started to suggest that under certain circumstances, the role of autonomy is more ambivalent. For example, social context can affect the perception of autonomy, so it is seen as a type of neglect if exercised in circumstances of suboptimal relations between a supervisor and a supervisee. In this study, we aim to test this assertion using a moderated mediation model applied on matched responses from 451 pairs of academic scientific employees. Results showed an overall positive association between job autonomy and work outcomes. However, this was moderated by the social context in the form of a trusting relationship towards the autonomy‐granting supervisor. We can conclude that autonomy yields the highest benefits to the employee only in positive social contexts, because this is vital for attitudinal gains, namely, higher job satisfaction, ultimately translating to performance gains too.
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