Calling and job involvement: the role of prosocial motivation in the performance of mission-driven organization

J Gen Psychol. 2024 May 15:1-29. doi: 10.1080/00221309.2024.2349763. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Previous studies suggested that individuals with prosocial motivation have better job performance in mission-driven organizations. However, the mediating mechanisms underlying this link remain unclear. On the basis of person-environment theory, this research proposed that work as a calling and job involvement are two important mediators between employees' prosocial motivation and their job performance in mission-driven organizations. Through a multi-wave and muti-source approach, 420 independent subordinate-immediate supervisor dyads from 173 divisions or stations of the police department in Taiwan were obtained. Our results illustrated that the prosocial motivation-job performance relationship is sequentially mediated by work as a calling and job involvement. We further discuss implications for future research and practices in light of these findings.

Keywords: Calling; contextual performance; job involvement; mission-driven organization; prosocial motivation; task performance.