How do people behave if their sense of calling & ideology are in conflict with their organizations?

“How and when do callings predict job performance? The role of organizational commitment and ideological contract fulfillment,” Human Relations, 71(10): 1319-1347.

(Selected as Top Papers Published in 2018)

Abstract

Do individuals with callings perform better than those without? Why or why not? There

are not clear answers to these questions in the literature. Using a social exchange

framework, we posit an intervening process between callings and job performance,

focusing on the role of organizational commitment and ideological contract fulfillment – the

degree to which organizations live up to their ideological promises. Specifically, individuals

with callings will be more committed to their organization, and this commitment, in turn,

leads to job performance. Further, this relationship of calling to job performance through commitment will be attenuated when employees perceive under-fulfillment of ideological

contract. We found support for these hypotheses across three studies that utilized

self- or supervisor-rated performance data from a non-profit organization and multiple

for-profit organizations. Interestingly, while the relationship between commitment

and performance did depend on fulfillment of the ideological psychological contract,

contrary to our prediction, the calling-commitment relationship was not attenuated by

under-fulfillment of ideological contract. Our findings deepen our understanding of the

organizational implications of callings from a social exchange-based perspective. This

study further informs practitioners as to hiring and motivating individuals with a calling.