The Role of Calling and Job Crafting on the Promotion of Employee
Engagement for Organizational Sustainability
Susanti Saragih
a
, Meily Margaretha
b
and Sherlywati
c
Faculty of Business, Maranatha Christian University, Jl. Surya Sumantri 65, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Job Crafting, Work as a Calling, Employee Engagement, Job Design, Organizational Sustainability.
Abstract: A sense of job as a calling (JAC) relates to the worker's intrinsic motivation to perform his daily tasks and a
willingness to modify daily tasks and resources needed to carry out the tasks successfully. This proactive
behavior will improve a worker's well-being and engagement. Moreover, this contribution will enable
organizations to achieve sustainable organizational success. The purpose of this study was to examine the
relationship of JAC, job crafting, and employee engagement as an essential aspect of achieving sustainable
organizational success. A total of 275 teachers participated in this study. All hypotheses had tested using path
analysis with WarpPLS. Conceptually, all dimensions of job crafting are acknowledged to have a significant
effect, but the results showed that JAC significantly affects only the two dimensions of job crafting. While
decreasing hindering job demands and increasing social job resources were not significantly mediated JAC
and employee engagement. Having a calling in the work context drive teachers to craft their tasks at all costs.
In the longer term, this will lead to organizational sustainability. In this study, we also discussed the
implications for organizations and future research.
1 INTRODUCTION
The concept of job as calling and its effect on
individuals have been known for many years (Esteves
& Lopes, 2017). Job as a calling refers to an approach
to see the application of having a calling in doing of
job (Duffy et al., 2018). The origin source of this
sense relates with the religious framework where the
individual receives a ‘transcendent summons,
experienced as originating beyond the self, to
approach a particular life role (Duffy et al., 2018).
Furthermore, it also relates to motivation that person
has when they are doing their occupations,
particularly in social jobs such as teaching (Petrou et
al., 2012). Nowadays, the definition of this sense of
calling attaches to a sense of purpose, direction, the
desire to be helpful and personal fulfilment (Duffy et
al., 2018; Vogt et al., 2015; Xie et al., 2016, and
identified as the secular perspective of a sense of
calling and it perceives as people’s desire to give
contribution to their work life (Dik et al. 2012). This
desire and personal fulfilment are seen as important
a
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5337-356X
b
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8617-1924
c
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6429-3549
factors of an individual’s work experience, no matter
of their religion orientation.
The advantages of having job as calling have been
addressed in many previous researches in the
individual and organization context (Afsar et al.,
2019). It is mentioned that having job as a calling
would motivate employees in doing their job and
engage their purpose in work life (Xie et al., 2016).
Specifically, employees with strong of this feeling are
aware with themselves and their career choices, also
with this sense will be strongly related to their
feelings and give impact to their behavior
(Riasnugrahani et al, 2019). It can be said that these
people are effectively bound to shape their lives at
work to consolidate or underline parts of their calling,
hence driving them to make progressed moves with a
future-oriented impact. In this case, teachers who
have job as calling, they are enjoy doing their job and
have the capacity to improve their capability in doing
teaching activities and very comfortable to continue
their teaching career in their life. On the other hand,
teachers who do not have this calling they become
Saragih, S., Margaretha, M. and Sherlywati, .
The Role of Calling and Job Crafting on the Promotion of Employee Engagement for Organizational Sustainability.
DOI: 10.5220/0010752200003112
In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Emerging Issues in Humanity Studies and Social Sciences (ICE-HUMS 2021), pages 357-365
ISBN: 978-989-758-604-0
Copyright
c
2022 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
357
doubtful with their decision to be a teacher and it can
lead to bad performance in doing this job (Duffy et al.
2017). Dik et al. (2012) proposed that a feeling of
calling a feeling of calling should be understood as an
interaction where the individual encounters, keeps up
and looks for their reasons for living consistently.
Chang et al. (2020) affirm that one way to form
job crafting is the presence sense of calling that
employees should have, because this sense of calling
will lead to some behaviors such as find
opportunities, dare to make changes and adapt to the
pressure in work environments and many others. Job
crafting is described as a particular type of proactive
behavior that viewed as an anticipatory action taken
by employees in order to face difficulties and
limitations presented by their works (Wang et al.,
2018). According to Tims et al. (2012), as a job
crafter, to give meaning and purpose in their job,
employee will continue to improve their work, and it
will help employee to handle the changes in their
work (Tims et al., 2012). Therefore, job crafting is
seen as a process that needs employees’ active
changes of their work, including how they see and do
their jobs and also connect with others in their jobs
(Petrou et al., 2012). Today, in the dynamic working
environment, it is possible employees do not always
fit with their job, and they try to match themselves
with their job (Wang et al., 2018), and it make
concept of job as a calling motivate employees to
engage and match their demands and goal with the
workplace (Tims et al., 2016). Therefore, calling, is
viewed as a strong motivator that conduct future-
focused and mindful actions, and it showed that there
is a positive correlation between calling and job
crafting. Employees who have calling orientation is
found to be likely and enjoy crafting their jobs (Chang
et al., 2020); Lu et al., 2014).
More than decades ago, the impact of job crafting
has been discussed, such as the changes that
employees made in their jobs on their own initiatives
(Kulik et al., 1987 in Karatepe & Eslamlou, 2017).
Job crafting is perceived as individual changes on
physical and cognitive when doing the task or
relational boundaries in their work. According to
Tims et al. (2012) job crafting refers as the changing
that made by employees related to demands and
resources of their job (Tims et al., 2012). When job
resources increase, it will also enhance challenging in
job demands that represent job crafting (Bakker and
Demerouti, 2016; Tims et al., 2012). When
employees redesign their works through job demands
and resources, it will create work engagement that is
defined as a positive, fulfilling, work related state of
mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and
absorption (Bakker, 2011).
Bakker (2011) stated by practicing employee
engagement in the workplace, it will improve
employee performance, development of career and
finally reach customer for organization, therefore
organization should give more concern to employee
engagement. Work engagement is a result of job
crafting (Bakker & Demerouti, 2016). Van
Wingerden et al. (2016) mentioned that job crafting is
caused by work engagement. When teachers are
given chances to crafts their jobs, they feel vigorous,
are encouraged by work, and focus on job. When they
craft their works, they ask assistance and advice from
their co-workers and supervisors, they also might be
liked in accepting new or extra tasks and
communicate for control in order to help the problems
and needs of the students, and expand their work
demands because they perceive their job as a potential
for development and advancement (Brenninkmeijer
& Hekkert-Koning, 2015). Study of Tims’s et al.
(2015) and Vogt et al. (2015) summarized that job
crafting led to higher employee engagement. Thus, it
can be concluded that when employee has higher job
crafting will give impact to the higher of their job
engagement. Conversely, the lower the job crafting,
the lower employee engagement will be for
employees. These results are in line with research
related to job crafting and previous work engagement
conducted by Chen, et al. (2014) and Siddiqi (2015)
although using different scales and dimensions of job
crafting. Study conducted by Sakuraya et al. (2016)
on managerial level employees in Japan found that by
giving several sessions regularly on job crafting, there
was an increase in job crafting and influence the level
of employee engagement. Other explanation related
the relationship between job crafting and employee
engagement comes from Petrou et al. (2012) that
stated the emphasis of job crafting is on the employee
proactively behavior in making changing to the scope
of their work in order to find the meaning in their
work which in turn give impact to employee
engagement.
Furthermore, the issue of sustainability is
important to achieve organizations’ long-term
objective. Organizational sustainability describes as
the capacity for an organization to reach their goal in
terms of economic, environmental, and performance
of human (Wales, 2013). Employee engagement at
work can be seen as an essential factor in order to
attain organizational successful in sustainability.
Employee engagement should be viewed as a core
element of the human dimension of organizational
sustainability (Carasco et al., 2014; Lee et al., 2016).
ICE-HUMS 2021 - International Conference on Emerging Issues in Humanity Studies and Social Sciences
358
Employee engagement is one of the most research
topics in organizational science that forms a critical
and fundamental component to the continuous
organization sustainable successful (Mirvis, 2012).
The aim of this research is to explore the role of job
as calling and job crafting to promote employee
engagement that finally support organizational
sustainability.
1.1 Job as a Calling (JAC)
According to Baumister (1991), there are three
distinct values people can have to their work, namely,
work as a job, work as a career, and work as a calling.
Employees who see their work as a job only concern
about how much money and benefits they can earn.
In contrast, employees who have seen work as a
career, will take a job as an investment to actualize
themselves, get higher social status and achievement.
Finally, individuals with calling find their daily
activities at work are inseparable from their life. They
focus on fulfillment and social value.
Duffy et al. (2017) state that job as a calling (JAC)
is a form of religiosity in working based on
employee’s calling. They complete a variety of jobs
in the spirit of their calling and create meaningful
values for themselves, and fulfillment of other values
as the main purpose. As a social human being, these
values can be seen from the encouragement that
comes from God to help each other. Job as a calling
as religiosity is an encouragement that comes from
God to serve other individuals.
Having a job as a calling would motivate
employees in doing their job and engage their purpose
in work-life (Afsar et al., 2019; Savickas & Porfeli,
2012). Specifically, employees with a strong of this
feeling are aware of themselves and their career
choices, also with this sense will be strongly related
to their feelings and give impact to their behavior
(Riasnugrahani et al, 2019). They are eager to learn
new things, develop their capacities and improve their
work quality, and engage (Afsar et al., 2019; Savickas
& Porfeli, 2012; Duffy et al, 2017).
1.2 Job Crafting (JC)
Wang et al. (2018) concluded that job crafting is an
effort to remove job boundaries that are explained in
the job description, to ensure it aligns with individual
preferences, skills, and abilities. Employees who
involved in job crafting may redesign their work
activities and scope with or without management
involvement to balance job demands and job
resources with their abilities or needs (Tims et al.,
2012). Tims et al. (2012) defined job crafting as the
proactive process of employees changing aspects of
work to define the physical, emotional, cognitive, and
relational scope of a job. For instance, employees
may change the number of tasks they will handle; the
amount of intensity of contact they have with
colleagues or customers, and the number of resources
they will earn.
Job crafting can stimulate personal growth
because job crafting enables an employee to mobilize
more job resources and challenging demands that
stimulate their knowledge, skill, and experiences
(Tims, et al., 2012; Petrou et al., 2012). Therefore, job
crafting also creates personal meaning (Petrou et al.
2012). Moreover, Demerouti et al. (2015) conclude
that proactive behavior that showed in job crafting
strategies will lead to higher job engagement and
productivity.
Tims, et al. (2012) explained that there are 4
dimensions of job crafting, they area increasing
structural job resources, decreasing hindering job
demands, increasing social job resources, and
increasing challenging job demands. Increasing
structural job resources referred to activity to develop
oneself, learn new things, and use knowledge and
skill to the fullest. The second dimension, decreasing
hindering job demands, focus on minimizing difficult
work situation at work. An employee tends to
minimize contact with customers or colleagues who
affect them emotionally; avoid making the difficult
situation at work to ensure they have a pleasurable
day at work. The third dimension, increasing social
job resources demonstrated an active behavior in
asking for feedback and coaching from the leader.
Meanwhile, increasing challenging job demands
focus on enhancing an adequate level of challenges
and demands. Boredom, dissatisfaction, and
disengagement may appear in a job that is under
stimulating. Thus, employees must be able to
stimulate their work and get more challenges and face
a difficult work situation.
1.3 Employee Engagement (EE)
Job engagement is a positive, fulfilling, motivational
state of work-related well-being that can be seen as
the contradiction of job burnout. As a concept of
motivation, Bakker (2011) stated that employees who
have engaged with their job and organization will be
motivated to strive the challenging goals, involved in
many work situations. They are also energetic and
enthusiastically apply their skill and knowledge to
accomplish their tasks. Many of employee
engagement's definitions emphasize an employee's
The Role of Calling and Job Crafting on the Promotion of Employee Engagement for Organizational Sustainability
359
commitment to the job and organization or the
positive work attitudes and behaviors as an engaged
employee exhibit.
1.4 Job as Calling, Job Crafting and
Employee Engagement
To describe the mechanism of job calling and job
crafting, the career construction theory (CCT) are
used in this study. CCT indicated that careers are
resulted from individuals’ capability in adjusting their
social environment with their personal value by
imposing meaning on their daily task and experiences
at workplace (Rudolph et al, 2018). Adjusting
involves adaptive behaviours that address changes in
work situation and demand to experience a
meaningfulness at workplace. Therefore, employee
who understand their calling and sees his or her career
as a calling are fully aware of themselves, have a clear
focus on goals and leads them actively to a self-
directed behaviour (Xie et al., 2016; Savickas &
Porfeli, 2012). In other words, employee is motivated
to modify their job to include more challenges, more
meaningful tasks and relationship, and more effort into
updating their skills (Rudolph et al, 2018; Duffy, et al.,
2017). As a result, these individuals are more likely to
change aspects in their daily work in order to
emphasize values of their calling, thus driving them to
have more enjoyment and engagement from their jobs.
Some empirical research revealed that calling
positively associated to employee’s work attitudes,
behaviour and performance. For example, Xie, et al
(2016) found that job as calling positively related to
an employee's career adaptability, work engagement,
and career satisfaction. Employee who experiencing
work as a calling will tend to show higher level of
commitment and do more to accomplish their job
(Duffy et al., 2017; Thompson and Bunderson, 2019).
Chang et al (2020) reveal that a sense of job as calling
significantly associated with employees’ job crafting
behavior. When a sense of calling is accompanied by
a high degree of self-efficacy and job autonomy, it
encourages individual to be more willing to engage
and commit to their careers.
Employees with a calling work not for financial
gain but instead they will do their work to be morally
and socially significant. Therefore, it will lead to an
active behavior to learn somethings new to help them
accomplish work. They will tend to find the
opportunity to use their competence to the fullest
(increasing structural job resources). As they know
their purpose and value, the employee who sees work
as a calling will modify their work, try to make sure
that their work is mentally less intense, minimize
contact with unrealistic colleagues and reduce
stressful work situations (decreasing hindering job
demands). Moreover, they also demonstrated a
willingness to get more challenges and responsibility
(increasing challenging job demands), see a difficult
situation as a chance to grow, and actively ask for
advice and coach from supervisors (increasing social
job resources). Thus, in turn, these will lead to higher
engagement, satisfaction, and well-being. As such,
we hypothesize:
Hypothesis 1: Job as calling is positively related
to work engagement through the mediating
effects of increasing structural job resources
Hypothesis 2: Job as calling is positively related
to work engagement through the mediating
effects of decreasing hindering job demands
Hypothesis 3: Job as calling is positively related
to work engagement through the mediating
effects of increasing social job resources
Hypothesis 4: Job as calling is positively related
to work engagement through the mediating
effects of increasing challenging job demands
Based on the theories outlined, the researchers
develop the conceptual framework as shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 1: Conceptual framework of the study.
JAC: job as a calling
JC1: increasing structural job resources
JC2: decreasing hindering job demands
JC3: increasing social job resources
JC4: increasing challenging job demands
EE: employee engagement
ICE-HUMS 2021 - International Conference on Emerging Issues in Humanity Studies and Social Sciences
360
2 METHODS
2.1 Participants and Procedures
The sample of this study was 275 kindergarten and
primary school teachers from various schools located
in 9 sub-urbans in Bandung. The rationale for the
selection of kindergarten and primary school teachers
as survey participants included: first, in social
occupations such as teaching, their job is inseparable
from their life. They are more likely to do works to
brings fulfillment and meaning to other people (Xie
et al., 2016). Second, daily improvisation is
fundamental in the teachers' work. Teachers modify
or craft their daily work to respond to children’s
diverse intellectual level, social, and emotional and
needs. Hence, teachers in primary school or lower are
employees who are expected to experience job as
calling and regularly involve in job crafting.
Data were collected through an online survey
method. The survey’s link was distributed through
personal contact and or the school principle. After
four months, the 275 completed questionnaires were
collected. The respondent’s characteristics are
presented in Table 1.
Table 1: Respondents’ Characteristic.
Characteristics Percentage
Age
23 - 28
> 28 – 33
> 33 – 38
> 38 – 43
> 43
12.9%
9.7%
9.7%
6.6%
16.3%
Gender
Male
Female
10.9%
88.7%
Professional Background
Less than 5 years
> 5 – 10 years
> 10 years
32.4%
29.8%
35.6%
Employment Status
Full-time
Part-time
37.2%
17.1%
Weekly working hours
Less than 10 hours
> 10 – 25 hours
> 25 – 40 hours
> 40 – 55 hours
7.9%
45.4%
41.4%
5.4%
2.2 Measures
This study used a set of questionnaires that included
job as calling, job crafting (increasing structural job
resources; decreasing hindering job demands;
increasing social job resources; increasing
challenging job demands), and employee
engagement. These set of questionnaires were
developed by previous researchers and have used a
five-point Likert scale. Job as calling was measured
using Brief Calling Scale Presence of Calling that
consists of 2 items (e.q. I have a good understanding
of my calling as it applies to my career) by Dik et al.
(2012). Job crafting consists of 4 dimensions, there
are increasing structural job resources; decreasing
hindering job demands; increasing social job
resources; increasing challenging job demands. Job
crafting behaviour was measured using
questionnaires developed by Tims et al. (2012). In
total, there are 21 items used to measure this variable,
for example: I try to ensure that my work is
emotionally less intense. Meanwhile, questionnaire
developed by Saks (2006) was using to measured
employee engagement. There are 5 items in
measuring employee engagement, the sample of the
questions is: My work preoccupies me, and I am truly
in it.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Validity and Reliability Check
Convergent validity was assessed by evaluating the
Average Variance Extracted (AVE) test on the
variables. The values in Table 2 support convergent
validity as all AVEs exceeded the recommended
values (Henseler et al., 2016). The validity test’s
results also showed that the Cronbach’s Alpha
coefficients of all variables are acceptable. Loading
factor between 0.779 and 0.907 for increasing
structural job resources (ISJR), between 0.623 and
0.812 for decreasing hindering job demands (DHJD),
between 0.525 and 0.768 for increasing social job
resources (ICJR), and between 0.599 and 0.761 for
increasing challenging job demands. Both items in
job as calling variable gain 0.920 loading factor,
indicated that both items were valid (loading factor
was more than 0.4). Meanwhile, the loading factor
between 0.47 and 0.859 are found for employee
engagement. In total, there were 26 items in the
questionnaire that included.
The Role of Calling and Job Crafting on the Promotion of Employee Engagement for Organizational Sustainability
361
Table 2: Reliability Check.
Variable AVE
Composite
Reliabilit
y
Cronbach’s
Alpha
JAC
JC1
JC2
JC3
JC4
EE
0.847
0.766
0.523
0.460
0.488
0.449
0.917
0.881
0.760
0.808
0.766
0.836
0.820
0.818
0.631
0.702
0.619
0.785
3.2 Descriptive Statistics
The correlation analysis between the variables
studied was assessed to conduct a statistical analysis.
This analysis ensures that all the variables used in this
study are related. The correlations among all studied
variables are presented in Table 3. The table showed
that job as calling is correlated with the first, and the
fourth dimension of job crafting. It is worth noting
that employee engagement had a correlation on all
studied variables except JC2 (decreasing hindering
job demands).
Table 3: Correlation Analysis.
Var JAC JC1 JC2 JC3 JC4 EE
JAC
JC1
JC2
JC3
JC4
EE
- 0.47*
0.026
0.158
0.17
0.40*
-0.02
0.37*
0.46*
0.05
0.34*
0.38*
0.52*
-0.05
0.33*
0.49*
-
* p-value < 0.001
3.3 Structural Model Analysis
Once the reliability and validity were meet the
recommended value, the model was tested using
Warp PLS tool. The structural analysis model output
is shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Model fit and quality indices.
Fit Indicates Recommended Value Value
APC
AARS
AFVIV
GoF
RSCR
SSR
p<0.001
p<0.001
<= 3.3
>=0.25 (medium)
>= 0.9
>= 0.7
0.254, p<0.001
0.167, p<0.001
1.440
0.295
0.998
1.000
3.4 Hypothesis Testing
The structural model analysis in Figure 2 showed that
job as calling has a positive impact on employee
engagement with increasing structural job resources
as a mediation variable = 0.390; p-value < 0.001,
H1 is supported). This study also provides initial
support for H4 regarding the mediation of increasing
challenging job demand between job as calling and
employee engagement = 0.270; p-value < 0.001).
Meanwhile, the second and the third dimension of job
crafting, namely decreasing hindering job demands
and increasing social job resources were not
significantly mediated the relationship between job as
a calling and employee engagement. Thus, H2 and H3
are not supported.
Figure 2: The result of Structural Model
JAC: job as a calling
JC1: increasing structural job resources
JC2: decreasing hindering job demands
JC3: increasing social job resources
JC4: increasing challenging job demands
EE: employee engagement
This study examined how job crafting dimensions
mediated job as calling and employee engagement.
We found that job as calling was more strongly
related to employee engagement through the
mediating effect of increasing structural job resources
(H1) and increasing challenging job demands (H4).
Job as a calling is identified as a sense of direction,
purpose, and personal fulfilment (Duffy et al., 2017).
Individual who sees their work as a calling are willing
to do and serve the greater good because they are
motivated employees and engage their purpose in
work-life (Chang et al., 2020 Xie et al., 2016;
Riasnugrahani et al, 2019). This study has shown that
teachers who experience job as a calling are able to
mobilize more variety, the opportunity to develop
oneself (increasing structural job resources) whereas
increasing engagement. This result support prior
ICE-HUMS 2021 - International Conference on Emerging Issues in Humanity Studies and Social Sciences
362
studies, for example Chang et al (2020), Lu et al.
(2014), and Berkers et al. (2017). Moreover,
individuals with a calling will have higher intrinsic
motivation and lead them to craft their job to include
more challenges, tasks, relations, and skills (Chang et
al., 2020; Tims, et al., 2012). As a result, they will
experience an adequate level of challenge,
opportunity to practice their knowledge and skill
which will increase their personal growth and
engagement with their job.
In today’s competitive marketplace, organization
that focus on employee engagement will
enlarge their capacity to reach their goal in terms
of economic, environmental, sustainability, and
performance of human (Wales, 2013). The rationale
for this because employee engagement viewed as a
core element of the human dimension of
organizational sustainability (Carasco et al., 2014;
Lee et al., 2016). Therefore, organization that focus
on employee engagement will resolve the tension
employee feel between their work and personal value
by providing a higher purpose.
The findings from this study also reveal that the
other two dimensions of job crafting (decreasing
hindering job demands/H2 and increasing social job
resources/H3) are not significant mediated the
relationship of job as a calling and employee
engagement. When teachers see their job as a calling,
they are more likely to increase their job resources
(e.g., seeking social support) and challenges (e.g.,
seeking more variety) rather than decrease job
demands. This finding explains that the teachers who
report a presence of a calling have a good sense of
their interests and abilities. They show their
competency in manage work in a difficult situation
and willing to modify work to contribute to the
greater good. Therefore, decreasing and hindering job
demands are not the choices for individual who sees
their job as a calling. Having a clear purpose and
calling in the job will give the advantage to be able to
make changes and adapt to the pressure in work
environments and many others (Wang et al., 2018).
Finally, in this study, we can conclude that increasing
social job resources (e.g., asking for coaching and
feedback from supervisor or colleagues) may have
more impact on the social aspects of the job but it
does not determine employee engagement.
4 CONCLUSIONS
Job as a calling is viewed as a strong motivator that
conduct future-focused and mindful actions. Previous
research showed that employees who have calling
orientation is found to be likely and enjoy crafting
their jobs (Chang et al., 2020; Lu et al., 2014). They
also demonstrated an attachment at workplace (e.g.,
commitment and engagement) and occupational
clarity (e.g., career decidedness and choice comfort)
(Thompson and Bunderson, 2019). This study
examined how job as a calling will influence
employee engagement through job crafting as a
mediation variable. We elaborated job crafting into 4
dimensions; increasing structural job resources,
decreasing hindering job demands, increasing social
job resources, and increasing challenging job
demands.
There are 4 hypotheses assessed in this study. As
proposed, employee who experience job as a calling
is found to have willingness to develop his/her
capabilities, to learn new things at work, and seeking
variety and autonomy (Tims, et al., 2012; Xie et al.,
2016). This voluntary behaviour fulfilling basic
human needs and enhance employee engagement.
Similarly, having a sense of calling at work, teachers
may take more challenges and extra tasks to stimulate
their personal growth and skills. This challenge
demands offer meaningful experiences that lead to
satisfaction and engagement (Xie et al., 2016).
However, we found decreasing hindering job
demands and increasing social job resources are not
significant in the relationship between job as a calling
and employee engagement. This result showed that
when employees see their job as a calling, they tend
to promote proactive behaviour, modify work to
ensure it aligns with their skill, ability, and
preference. They are also eager to make difficult and
contact with others that might affect them
emotionally. In conclusion, they prefer to deal with
difficult work situation and interaction, stimulate
their knowledge and skills, and avoid decreasing job
demands.
The current study offers a theoretical contribution.
This study has used the four dimensions of job
crafting instead of treating job crafting as
unidimensional. This allows the examination of job-
crafting activities and points out the main dimension
that enhances employee engagement. Our findings
also have significant implications for practitioners.
Knowing that employee who has calling orientation
will tend to have higher engagement, an organization
should commit to assisting employees in finding
meaning and purpose in their work. HR practices that
would have significant impact on employee
engagement are training, counselling, career
management and job enrichment. These practices
incorporate meaning, variety and autonomy so
employee become more willing to do greater good.
The Role of Calling and Job Crafting on the Promotion of Employee Engagement for Organizational Sustainability
363
The limitation of this study also sheds light on
future research. First, the survey participants were not
involved with teachers in higher levels, for instance:
high school teachers. Therefore, one should be
cautious when generalizing the results to the teachers’
population. Meanwhile, the sample size of this study
has been conducted fairly big to the population of
kindergarten and primary school teachers.
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