Gender Discrimination and Work Engagement: Moderating Role of Future Time Perspective

Abstract

This article examines the contribution of perceived gender discrimination to work engagement; the contribution of future time perspective (FTP) to work engagement and more importantly, the moderating role of FTP on the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and work engagement. Based on a social cognitive frame work, it was hypothesized that FTP is positively related to work engagement. Further, it was also expected that FTP would work as a compensatory motivational resource and weaken the negative relationship between gender discrimination and work engagement. These questions were examined using a sample of female employees working in textile and apparel companies in the Chennai and Puducherry regions of India (N = 234). Results indicate that FTP has a positive relationship with physical, cognitive as well as emotional engagement of the respondents. It also moderates significantly the relationship between perceived gender discrimination and cognitive as well as emotional dimensions of work engagement. However, no significant moderating effect appears for the relationship between gender discrimination and physical engagement of these employees.

Future Time Perspective in the Work Context: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies

“…For instance, Schmitt et al (2013b) found that job control, as an external resource of the work environment, is positively related to work engagement among employees with a low focus on opportunities, and not among employees with a high focus on opportunities. Similar to results from Sia et al (2015), these results support the notion of OFTP as a compensatory resource, since a high level of focus on opportunities compensates for low levels of job control in predicting work engagement. As far as remaining time is concerned, Zacher (2013) showed that proactive personality predicts greater job search intensity when perceived remaining time is low compared to when it is high.…”

“…However, a high FTP may also be a buffering resource that prevents high FTP workers against the negative impact of job stressors, such as perceived gender discrimination. In particular, Sia et al (2015) found in a sample of female middle-aged employees that the negative relationships between perceived gender discrimination and emotional and cognitive work engagement become weaker when FTP was high.…”

“…Regarding occupational well-being outcomes, general FTP was positively associated with job satisfaction ( r = 0.17, Korff et al, 2016), affective organizational commitment ( r = 0.17, Korff et al, 2016), career ( r = 0.38) and organizational commitment ( r = 0.34, Park and Jung, 2015), as well as physical ( r = 0.22), emotional ( r = 0.48), and cognitive ( r = 0.31) engagement (Sia et al, 2015). …”

“…On the one hand, some studies found that FTP at work buffers negative associations of job demands or of a lack of job resources with work engagement. Indeed, FTP at work has been shown to be a compensatory resource that can be useful when workers face high job demands (e.g., gender discrimination, Sia et al, 2015) or a lack of job resources (e.g., job control, Schmitt et al, 2013b). On the other hand, FTP at work has been shown to mediate associations between positive job characteristics and work outcomes.…”

Teacher’s Engagement at Work: The Role of Future Time Perspective and Challenge Demands

“…Earlier studies on the relationship between FTP and work engagement [10]- [12] have found varying results.The coefficient correlations between FTP and work engagement are found to be moderate (physical (r= .22), emotional (r= .48), and cognitive (r= .31) engagement, [12]; r= .31, [11]). The results indicate that the underlying mechanism between FTP and work engagement exists.…”