Sense of calling, job crafting, spiritual leadership and work meaningfulness: a moderated mediation model

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between sense of calling and work meaningfulness with job crafting as a mediator and spiritual leadership as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a three-wave procedure, data were collected from 333 participants across industries from Guangdong province, China.

Findings

Results indicate that job crafting partially mediates the relationship between employee sense of calling and work meaningfulness. Moreover, the positive relationship between job crafting and work meaningfulness is more significant when spiritual leadership is high than when it is low. Additionally, spiritual leadership moderates the indirect relationship of sense of calling and work meaningfulness through job crafting such that the indirect effect of sense of calling is stronger when spiritual leadership is high than when it is low.

Originality/value

Based on self-determination theory, this study adds to current literatures examining the importance of sense of calling on a person's career and explores the boundary conditions, which bring desirable outcomes.

Citation

Chang, P.-C., Xiaoxiao, G. and Wu, T. (2021), "Sense of calling, job crafting, spiritual leadership and work meaningfulness: a moderated mediation model", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 42 No. 5, pp. 690-704. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-09-2020-0392