The Role of Calling in a Social Cognitive Model of Well-Being

Abstract

The present study examined the role of calling in a social cognitive model of well-being using a sample of 328 South Korean teachers. The model incorporating calling into the social cognitive model of well-being demonstrated an excellent fit, and our variables accounted for significant variance in job satisfaction (47%) and life satisfaction (38%). Among the 12 direct paths of the proposed model, 10 hypothesized paths were significant. The direct paths from positive affect to calling, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction; from calling to self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and life satisfaction; from self-efficacy to outcome expectations; from outcome expectations to job satisfaction; and from job satisfaction to life satisfaction were significant. Additionally, the mediating paths between positive affect and life satisfaction via calling, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and job satisfaction were significant. The practical implications for enhancing teachers’ job and life satisfaction and future directions of research were discussed.

The Search for and Presence of Calling: Latent Profiles and Relationships With Work Meaning and Job Satisfaction

“…Prior empirical studies also showed some contradictory results. For instance, work meaning and job satisfaction have been posited as typical consequences of developing a calling (e.g., Duffy et al, 2018 ; Lee et al, 2020 ). Some scholars also explored whether the search for calling is associated with work meaning and job satisfaction.…”

The influence of gratitude on pre-service teachers’ career goal self-efficacy: Chained intermediary analysis of meaning in life and career calling

“…Career goal self-efficacy (CGSE) is one of the critical components of sustainable career development ( Allan and Duffy, 2014 ). When college students inevitably encounter various difficulties during their study and personal growth periods, such as a low level of gratitude ( Wu, 2020 ), lack of environmental and meaning in life exploration ( Su et al, 2014 ), and lack of necessary occupational skills in the critical stages of determining career development goals ( Wang and Gao, 2013 ), it is required to analyze their inner characteristics and drive their career calling to enhance CGSE ( Allan and Duffy, 2014 ; Lee et al, 2020 ). An individual’s internal CGSE shows a positive attitude which can help individuals to enhance their confidence in their inner resources and recognition to be a teacher ( Zhang et al, 2019b ).…”

Overcoming the challenges of living an occupational calling: a study with veterinarians

“…Against this backdrop, there has been a growing interest in "occupational callings" (Duffy, Dik, Douglass, England, & Velez, 2018), defined as "an approach to work that reflects seeking a sense of overall purpose and meaning and is used to help others or contribute to the common good, motivated by an external or internal summons" (Duffy et al, 2018, p. 426). Despite the dominant emphasis on the positive aspects of seeing work as a calling, as a form of obtaining life satisfaction and career commitment (H. S. Lee, E. S. Lee, & Shin, 2020), many studies on the topic explore a different perspective. For example, Lysova, Jansen, Khapova, Plomp, and Tims (2018) and Silva, Felix, and Mainardes (2021) have explored the challenges individuals face while trying to live callings, considering that some people are unable to build a career with these characteristics.…”