Career calling and well-being among South Korean adult workers: Living a calling and work volition as mediators

Abstract

This study examined how a sense of calling is linked with job and with life satisfaction among 209 Korean working adults. Using structural equation modeling, the mediating effects of living a calling and work volition were tested in the link between perceiving a calling and job-and life satisfaction. Living a calling was found to be a significant mediator only in the link between perceiving a calling and job satisfaction. Interestingly, work volition mediated the link between perceiving a calling and both job- and life satisfaction. Inconsistent with previous research suggesting that work volition was an antecedent of living a calling, this study showed that work volition directly linked to job and life satisfaction. Furthermore, the mediating effects of work volition were stronger than living a calling for job-and life satisfaction among South Koreans. Implications for future research and clinical work are discussed.