An initial examination of the work as calling theory.

Abstract

Over the past decade, research on work as a calling has seen a rapid growth, with hundreds of empirical articles on the topic having been published. Until recently, however, there has been no comprehensive theoretical model of work as a calling to guide research. Duffy, Dik, Douglass, England, and Velez (2018) published the Work as Calling Theory (WCT), which provides a comprehensive model of the predictors and outcomes of living out a calling. The present study provides the first empirical examination of the 20 propositions outlined within the predictor portion of this model. Using data collected from a sample of 424 employed adults living in the United States, from diverse social class backgrounds and occupations, we conducted latent variable structural equation modeling to evaluate the model propositions. Overall, we found full (17) and partial (1) support for 18 of the 20 model propositions, which included direct effects along with mediating and moderating effects. Person-environment fit, career commitment, and work meaning appear to be critical in helping to translate a perceived calling and access to opportunity into a lived calling. Additionally, calling motivation, organizational support, and job crafting may play a key role in helping employees with a calling experience more fit with their work environments. Taking these findings into consideration, we explore practical implications for career counselors and employers and highlight future directions for scholars using the WCT. Public Significance StatementThis study demonstrates the pathways for individuals who feel a calling to live it out in the workplace. Findings are useful for counselors and employers seeking to help individuals enact their callings at work.

How Having a Calling Leads to Job Crafting: A Moderated Mediation Model

“…Our results suggest that when employees enact their respective callings with high self-efficacy, they are more likely to be committed to their careers, and when they are able to enjoy greater autonomy at work, their commitments to their careers are strengthened and they thereby perform their tasks in a much more proactive way. These findings also support the argument addressed by Duffy et al (2019) and Rawat and Nadavulakere (2015) – that the mechanism of calling is complicated and, thus, personal and contextual factors are highly relevant.…”

Employee Intention to Stay in an Organization: Examining the Role of Calling and Perceived Supervisor Support Through the Theoretical Lens of Work as Calling

“…In other words, employees who perceive a sense of calling and are given the chance to realize such a calling find it more meaningful and tend to be more engaged compared with those who are not able to find any congruence between their calling and the environment in which they are embedded in. These theoretical arguments, which are also empirically supported (i.e., Duffy, Douglass, Gensmer, England, & Kim, 2019), lead us to posit that perceiving a calling is positively and significantly related to intention to stay.…”

“…As a starting point, employees can be provided opportunities to discover their calling through guided exercises and activities facilitated by career counselors. Given the findings of Duffy, Douglass, Gensmer, England, and Kim (2019) on the role of work volition or privilege of choice in employment, it seems ideal to first determine perceived volition. This may be particularly important in developing countries such as the Philippines where job opportunities seem limited (Menguito, 2017).…”

‘Then You Will Know the Truth, and the Truth Will Set You Free’: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Career Experiences of Gay Clergy in the Church of England

“…Furthermore, it could be suggested that in doing so they were living a temporarily unanswered calling and crafting their career by choosing public service (Berg et al 2010). As all eventually returned to the Church, it suggests that there is a possible gap in the theoretical model in Work as Calling Theory (WCT) whereby it does not account for the long-term pull of calling, even after it has stopped being lived (Duffy et al 2018(Duffy et al , 2019. This contributes to our understanding of calling within this context and is a worthwhile avenue for future research.…”

“…As WCT is an emergent theory, there is as yet limited empirical research testing its propositions, although an initial study identified that the majority of its propositions are fully supported (Duffy et al 2019). Importantly, the perception of a calling has been found to directly predict living a calling through person-environment (P-E) fit, potentially important when considering a career in an institution such as the Church (Duffy et al 2019). This study brings the focus of calling research back to its religious origins, exploring its potential applicability to faith workers.…”