Linking Perceived Organizational Frustration to Work Engagement: The Moderating Roles of Sense of Calling and Psychological Meaningfulness

The study examined the link between perceived organizational frustration and work engagement and the moderating roles of sense of calling and psychological meaningfulness in this link. Primary and postprimary (high) school teachers (N = 207) from Southeast Nigeria were sampled for the study. Consistent with our propositions, perceived frustration was found to be negatively related to work engagement. Sense of calling and psychological meaningfulness were positively related to work engagement. The results of the moderated regression analyses showed that teachers with high sense of calling were found to be more engaged with their work regardless of perceiving high organizational frustration than their counterparts with low sense of calling. More so, teachers with high psychological meaningfulness were reported to be more engaged with their work despite experiencing high organizational frustration than their counterparts with low psychological meaningfulness. The results of the study suggest that enhancement of sense of calling and work meaningfulness among teachers is desirous, as they could ensure positive work behaviors even in the presence of challenging work environment.