engleski

Job, Career or Calling? Relationship Between Work Orientations, Basic Psychological Needs and Well- Being of Elementary School Teachers

There is evidence that most people see their work as either a job (focus on financial rewards and necessity rather than pleasure or fulfillment), a career (focus on advancement), or a calling (focus on enjoyment of fulfilling, socially useful work). The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between work orientations, basic psychological needs and well-being of elementary school teachers. Three questionnaires were administered to 150 elementary school teachers: modified University of Pennsylvania Work–Life Questionnaire (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997, measuring job, career or calling orientation towards work), modified Basic psychological needs scale (Ilardi i sur, 1993) and Life satisfaction scale (Diener et al., 1985). Work satisfaction was measured by one item. Basic psychological needs scale was divided into two subscales: fulfilment and unfulfilment of needs. The teachers scored highest on calling orientation, followed by career and job orientation. It was hypothesized that calling as work orientation would be positively related to life and work satisfaction, and that this relationship would be mediated by fulfilment of basic psychological needs. On the other hand, job and career orientation would be negatively related to work and life satisfaction and that this relationship would be mediated by unfulfilment of basic psychological needs. Career orientation was related neither to satisfaction of basic psychological needs nor to life or work satisfaction and was excluded from further analysis.. To test the relationship between the job and calling orientation, basic psychological needs and life and work satisfaction, path analysis was performed. The hypothesized model seemed to fit the data reasonably well (pRMSEA=0.01). There was positive relationship between calling orientation and work and life satisfaction that was fully mediated by fulfilment of psychological needs for life satisfaction, and partially for work satisfaction. Negative relationship between job orientation and life and work satisfaction was fully mediated by unfulfillment of basic psychological needs.

work orientations; basic psychological needs; life satisfaction work

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