How does supervisor developmental feedback make employees sense the meaning of work?

Abstract

This article used 677 questionnaires obtained by stratified sampling as a sample and used the hierarchical regression analysis method and the bootstrap method to analyze the data. Based on Self‐Determination Theory, this article integrated the Leader‐Member Exchange (LMX) situation to explore the mechanism of supervisor developmental feedback on employees' work meaningfulness. The results showed that supervisor developmental feedback aroused employees' work meaningfulness by meeting the autonomy need and relatedness need. Although competence need satisfaction could not enhance employees' work meaningfulness, its development could satisfy the relatedness need and autonomy need and thus boost work meaningfulness. High‐quality LMX enhanced the impact of supervisor developmental feedback on relatedness need satisfaction. This article explored the antecedents of employees' work meaningfulness from the perspectives of supervisor behavior and supervisor‐subordinate interaction. Our study completely presents the internal mechanism of employees' work meaningfulness from the psychological level, expands on existing research and provides practical guiding value for organizations to activate employees' work meaningfulness.