“AM I WORTH IT?”:RELATIONSHIPS OF JOB CHARACTERISTICS AND SELF-ESTEEM WITH ORGANIZATIONAL AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT

Abstract

This study examined the moderating effect of
employee self-esteem on the relationships between
five job characteristics (i.e. skill variety, autonomy, job
feedback, task identity and task significance) and
affective organizational commitment. Results from
two cross-sectional studies were largely supportive of
our prediction based on self-verification theory
(Swann, 1983). With the exception of task identity, the
core job characteristics were positively and significantly associated with affective organizational commitment when self-esteem was high. On the contrary,
when self-esteem was low, these relationships were
non-statistically significant. We discuss the implications of these findings for the study of job characteristics and its outcomes. Limitations of this study and
directions for future research are also presented.