Committee Chair

Cunningham, Christopher J. L.

Committee Member

O'Leary, Brian J.; Black, Kristen Jennings

Department

Dept. of Psychology

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among occupational calling intensity (OCI), personal calling intensity (PCI), occupational engagement (OE), personal engagement (PE), and need for resource recovery (NFRR). OCI, an all-consuming desire to have a significant positive impact through employment, is often associated with high OE but may also be linked to high NFRR, suggesting that OE mediates the relationship between OCI and NFRR. This study also explored whether PCI, which refers to a calling outside of employment, exhibits the same relationships with PE and NFRR as OCI. Data from 193 participants were analyzed using correlational and regression techniques. The findings revealed a negative relationship between OCI and NFRR, with work identity salience (WIS) serving as a significant mediator. Both engagement types were positively related to both calling intensities and negatively related to NFRR. These results deepen our understanding of calling intensities, engagement, and their complex links to WIS and NFRR.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I would like to thank my thesis chair, Dr. Christopher Cunningham, for your unwavering support and commitment to this project. Your guidance within this project and beyond has been invaluable to my professional, academic, and personal growth, and I am deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Kristen Black and Dr. Brian O’Leary, for their support and for pushing this project to new heights. Each of you has played a crucial role in fostering an academic program that genuinely cares for its students and its subject, which has been essential in making this project (and many others) possible. Thank you for your continued effort. I would also like to thank my family, who instilled in me the values of persistence, service, and excellence. It is highly engaged individuals like you, who dedicate yourselves to caring for others, that truly keep the world moving. Finally, to my friends (especially those in UTC’s I-O program), thank you for working alongside me and reminding me to balance my occupational and personal roles.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2025

Subject

Employee motivation; Job satisfaction--Testing; Psychology, Industrial; Work--Psychological aspects

Keyword

calling; recovery; well-being; engagement; industrial-organizational psychology

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xiii, 89 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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