Abstract
PurposePrevious studies on job characteristics have been performed mainly in Western contexts. More empirical evidence is needed to understand the important job characteristics of positive job outcomes in a non‐Western context. Therefore, this research has two objectives: to assess the impact of five job characteristics on work attitudes and behaviors in the UAE, and to test the mediating impact of distributive justice on the job characteristics‐work outcomes relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe study reports responses of 350 employees from five large organizations operating in Dubai. Data were collected on a structured questionnaire containing standards scales of job characteristics, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intentions, distributive justice, and some demographic variables. After testing scales reliability and validity, the proposed linear relationships were tested using a series of separate hierarchical regression analyses. Proposed mediation hypotheses were tested using Baron and Kenny's recommendations.FindingsConsistent with studies conducted in a Western context, the study showed that skill variety and feedback have functional impacts on job satisfaction, organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Contrary to Western studies, the study reported that task identity and task significance have functional effects on work attitudes and behaviors. Autonomy also showed unexpected positive relationship with turnover intentions. Additionally, distributive justice mediates some of the relationships between job characteristics and work outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of common method bias and cross‐sectional data are discussed in the light of implications for future research. Nevertheless, the results provide new insights on the influence of job characteristics on work outcomes in a non‐Western context of the UAE. Also, the study reported evidence for the mediating impact of distributive justice on the job characteristics‐work outcomes relationship.Practical implicationsThe study has implications for enhancing work behaviors and attitudes. In general, enhancing certain job characteristics can result in higher‐level employee outcomes. Also, managers should improve some of the contextual factor (i.e. distributive justice) in order to enhance the impact of job characteristics on work outcomes.Originality/valueThe study is considered to be one of the first to examine the job characteristics‐work outcomes relationship in a non‐western context of the UAE. Also, it is among the first studies to test the role of distributive justice as a mediator for the job characteristics‐work outcome relationship.
Subject
Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous),Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management,Business, Management and Accounting (miscellaneous),Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
Reference84 articles.
1. Agarwal, S. and Ramaswami, S.N. (1993), “Affective organizational commitment of salespeople: an expanded model”, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 13, pp. 49‐70.
2. Allen, N.T. and Meyer, J.P. (1990), “The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization”, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Vol. 77, pp. 638‐50.
3. Baron, R.M. and Kenny, D.A. (1986), “The moderator‐mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical consideration”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 51, pp. 1173‐82.
4. Bassett, G. (1994), “The case against job satisfaction”, Business Horizons, Vol. 37, pp. 61‐8.
5. Becherer, R.C., Morgan, F.W. and Richard, L.M. (1982), “The job characteristics of industrial salespersons: relationship to motivation and satisfaction”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 46, pp. 125‐35.
Cited by
34 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献