title: Disentangling the link between perceiving a calling and living a calling.
abstract: Research has suggested there is an important distinction between perceiving a calling and living a calling. With a sample of 542 working adults, the current study examined (a) the degree to which perceiving a calling and living a calling differed according to yearly income and level of educational attainment and (b) potential mediators that may explain the link between perceiving a calling and living a calling. Adults with higher yearly incomes and more education were significantly more likely to endorse living a calling, but no significant group differences were found for perceiving a calling. Additionally, using structural equation modeling, work volition was found to be a significant mediator in the link between perceiving a calling and living a calling, and organizational support was found to be a significant mediator in the link between work volition and living a calling. The strength and significance of these indirect effects were supported by bootstrapping techniques. We suggest that part of the reason people with a calling feel more able to live out that calling is because of increased feelings of control in their career decision making. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
authors: University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. rduf@ufl.edu
authors: Ryan D
authors: RD
authors: Duffy
authors: Kelsey L
authors: KL
authors: Autin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001240:Aspirations, Psychological; D002321:Career Choice; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015279:Organizational Culture; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States; D014836:Volition; D055815:Young Adult