Gurnam Singh, Harvinder Kaur
(2023)
Work as a calling towards job performance among different generational workforce in Singapore.
[Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)]
Abstract
In times of the pandemic, it has become more imperative for organisations to be able to motivate and engage employees to find purpose and meaning in the work they do, and one approach is through pursuing Work as a Calling. Employees living out their calling can be an organisation’s best resource, as they tend to exhibit higher levels of job performance, which significantly impacts organisational profitability and success. With a large part of the Singapore population in jobs where there is a misalignment of work preferences or values, it is plausible that there is a lack of meaning and purpose, which translates into a workforce that is unengaged and unmotivated. Moreover, researchers established that since calling relates to how one values their work, it has an ability to greatly influence job performance. This warrants the need for business leaders in organisations to do better at endorsing Work as a Calling interventions, to help people grow and live out their calling. Consequently, the study will explore facets/factors that facilitates Work as a Calling among different generational workforce in Singapore. It aims to analyse if generations perceive Work as a Calling differently, if so, what facets/factors contributes to such differences. By adapting the Work as a Calling Theory framework and narrowing down the focus towards positive work-related outcomes, it examines the effects of Work as a Calling on job performance, denoted as employee productivity (return of investment) and employee engagement (return of expectations), which seeks to establish if differences among the generations exists. The main purpose is to determine if the alignment of Work as a Calling as a concept, is important to the overall business strategy. The study will adopt a mixed-method research approach to gather and analyse qualitative data from 6 Business/HR leaders through semi-structured interviews, and quantitative data from a sample size of 165 adults through an online survey. Drawing support from theories of leadership, mindset, alongside with organisational support, the facets/factors to be tested were finalised. The findings showed a direct and positive association between Work as a Calling towards job performance, and the same results was observed for both employee productivity and employee engagement. The findings highlighted that Transformational Leadership, Perceived Organisational Support and Growth Mindset partially mediated the relationship between Work as a Calling and employee engagement, which thereafter impacted employee productivity. A mixed result was observed for differences in perception of Work as a Calling among the generations and the facets/factors which facilitated it. By applying the Resource-Based View theoretical lens, the study found that it was critical to align the notion of Work as a Calling to the overall business strategy. Based on the findings, recommendations to guide business leaders and organisations to implement interventions through Transformational Leadership, Perceived Organisational Support and Growth Mindset has been provided. In essence, Work as a Calling matters and has the ability to influence employees’ job performance. Therefore, it is key for business leaders to put knowledge gained into action by better managing generational differences in work motivations, and creating the right conditions to facilitate Work as a Calling.
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