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Contexts, people, and work designs: Developing and testing a multilevel theory for understanding variability in work
Erich C Dierdorff1, J Kemp Ellington2, Frederick P Morgeson3
1Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Driehaus College of Business, DePaul University.
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|January 23, 2025
Summary
Work design impacts well-being and performance, but relevance of job attributes explains why effects vary. This multilevel theory clarifies how context and individual skills shape work design outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Work Design
- Human Resources Management
Background:
- Work design characteristics significantly influence individual outcomes like well-being, motivation, satisfaction, and performance.
- Previous research shows unexplained variance in the effects of work design, indicating a need for multilevel and contextual perspectives.
- Existing scholarship calls for expanded theories that integrate individual attributes and contextual factors in understanding work design consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test a multilevel theory connecting occupation, job, and individual levels to explain work design consequences.
- To introduce and examine the concept of 'attribute relevance' as a moderator of work design effects.
- To account for the variance in individual outcomes previously unexplained in work design research.
Main Methods:
- Developed a multilevel theoretical framework spanning occupational, job, and individual levels.
- Introduced the concept of attribute relevance, measuring the prioritization of attributes within occupational and job contexts.
- Conducted three empirical studies involving 3,838 incumbents across 339 unique occupations.
Main Results:
- Attribute relevance was found to systematically moderate the relationship between work design characteristics and individual outcomes.
- This moderating effect of attribute relevance helps explain the variability observed in previous work design research findings.
- The studies provide evidence for how worker requirements and individual differences interact with work designs.
Conclusions:
- Attribute relevance is a critical factor in understanding the differential impact of work designs on individuals.
- The developed multilevel theory offers a more comprehensive explanation for the link between work design and employee outcomes.
- This research addresses key questions regarding the interplay of worker requirements, individual differences, and work design.
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