Work as a calling: A theoretical model.

Abstract

Perceiving work as a calling has been positioned as a key pathway to enhancing work-related well-being. However, no formal theory exists attempting to explain predictors and outcomes of living a calling at work. To address this important gap, this article introduces a theoretical, empirically testable model of work as a calling - the Work as Calling Theory (WCT) - that is suitable for the contemporary world of work. Drawing from research and theory in counseling, vocational, multicultural, and industrial-organizational psychology, as well as dozens of quantitative and qualitative studies on calling, the WCT is presented in three parts: (a) predictors of living a calling, (b) variables that moderate and mediate the relation of perceiving a calling to living a calling, and (c) positive (job satisfaction, job performance) and potentially negative (burnout, workaholism, exploitation) outcomes that result from living a calling. Finally, practical implications are suggested for counselors and managers, who respectively may seek to help clients and employees live a calling. (PsycINFO Database Record

Discerning Work as a Calling: The Role of Job Crafting

“…Counselors are encouraged to assist employees in thinking more flexibly about their work situations—for example, by identifying problems, generating multiple alternative solutions, and approaching problems innovatively and creatively. Counselors may even encourage employees to try to temporarily or permanently change various aspects of their work (Duffy et al, 2018) and, thus, foster their ability to see their work from different perspectives.…”

“…Duffy et al (2018) asserted that “one cannot live out of calling unless one perceives being called in the first place” (p. 426). We therefore respond to the call by Duffy and Dik (2013) for research to examine antecedents of calling using an overarching theoretical perspective.…”

“…Therefore, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms through which individuals discern their calling within their present work context. Duffy et al (2018) asserted that "one cannot live out of calling unless one perceives being called in the first place" (p. 426). We therefore respond to the call by Duffy and Dik (2013) for research to examine antecedents of calling using an overarching theoretical perspective.…”

“…This condition might occur because calling involves a complex (Duffy, Bott, Allan, Torrey, & Dik, 2012) and ongoing process by which individuals continuously try to evaluate their careers and increase the experiential properties that reflect their callings (Dik, Eldridge, Steger, & Duffy, 2012). Since 2007, more than 200 studies on calling have been published (Duffy, Dik, Douglass, England, & Velez, 2018), indicating a surge of interest in the topic. However, further study is needed because of gaps that remain in the literature.…”

“…DECEMBER 2019 • VOLUME 67 . Since 2007, more than 200 studies on calling have been published (Duffy, Dik, Douglass, England, & Velez, 2018), indicating a surge of interest in the topic. However, further study is needed because of gaps that remain in the literature.…”