Exploring the Boundaries of Career Calling

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine how the relation between an individual’s calling and his or her job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and career success is affected by two dimensions of organizational context, procedural justice and psychological safety. Data were obtained from 526 employees of a law enforcement agency in the Midwest United States. Our results indicate that calling is important to both employees and employers since individuals with higher sense of calling are more satisfied with their jobs, less likely to turn over, and are more content with their careers. Moreover, this study provides evidence that under poor contextual conditions, the relation between calling and job satisfaction is stronger than in good contextual conditions (i.e., procedurally just or psychologically safe contexts). Our findings also suggest that a psychologically safe organizational environment is of some importance to experiencing a feeling of career success for those with a higher sense of calling.