Incorporating career dynamics into the job design - attitudinal outcome relationship.

The current research study is based on a model proposed by job design theorists, Fried,Grant, Levi, Hadani and Slowik (2007). This proposal is valuable in the organisationalpsychology research as it is the first to evaluate and incorporate career dynamics into theconceptualisation of the job design premise. As their argument, Fried et al. (2007)suggest that employees’ attitudinal reactions that result from the stimulation (or lackthereof) obtained from the design of their jobs is influenced by their career dynamics.More specifically, Fried et al. (2007) infer that career dynamics would moderate therelationship, whereby employees would be more likely to respond favourably to a lack ofstimulation when they perceive themselves in the early stages of their careers; or whenthey perceive their jobs as enabling career advancement.The aim of this study is to quantitatively assess the hypotheses suggested by Fried et al.(2007); and therefore conduct an investigation that evaluates job design from a careerdynamics perspective. Ninety five employees from sister accounting firms inJohannesburg and Cape Town formed the sample utilised in the study by volunteering tocomplete the self-report measures that were administered. The measures that are used inthis study encompass the job diagnostic survey, an occupational tenure questionnaire, theexpected utility of present job scale and the affective well-being scale. A biographicinventory was also administered in order to comprehend the demographic characteristicsof the sample.The research hypotheses were evaluated using moderated multiple regression statistics.Insufficient evidence was found to conclude any moderating effects of career dynamicson the relationship between the stimulation derived from the job and the attitudinalreaction of affective well-being. Following the exploration of the research study and theinterpretation of the findings, limitations of the study, directions for future research andpractical implications are addressed.