Linking meaningfulness to work outcomes through job characteristics and work engagement

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examined complex structural relationships among different organizational constructs affecting organizational performance at the individual level, which included psychological- (meaningfulness and work engagement), behavioural- (in-role performance), and situational- (job characteristics) constructs. Using a conditional process model, the current study investigated how the relationship between meaningfulness and in-role performance, mediated by work engagement, is also affected by job characteristics. Data were collected from 309 employees working at South Korean IT firms using a survey questionnaire. Study findings highlight that (a) meaningfulness is positively related to work engagement and in-role performance; (b) work engagement mediates the relationship between meaningfulness and in-role performance; (c) the relationship between meaningfulness and work engagement is moderated by job characteristics; and (d) the indirect relationship between meaningfulness and in-role performance through work engagement is associated with the level of job characteristics. This study contributes to the HRD literature on work engagement by providing evidence of complicated structural relationships among these organizational constructs. Also, these findings deepen the understanding of HRD scholars and managers in organizations and provide suggestions regarding how they can further investigate and implement work engagement in relation to job characteristics to improve individual job performance.