Title: Testing job characteristics model: empirical research on service-oriented organisations in China

Authors: Xueliang Pei; Yang Yang; Yingying Su; Longfang Xue

Addresses: East Business Management Research Centre, College of Business Administration, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, China ' School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China ' School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China ' College of Business Administration, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, China

Abstract: In service-oriented organisations, employees' job characteristics and motivations are important to improving organisational performance. The job characteristics model is a classical model that links job characteristics, job motivation, and organisational performance; however, theoretical and empirical research on this model is insufficient. Therefore, a theoretical model of relationships among employees' job characteristics, job motivation, and work outcomes is proposed. We took service-oriented organisations in China as our sample and conducted empirical research on data from 209 valid samples. The results showed the following: 1) job autonomy and task significance positively affected personal outcomes, and skill variety and job autonomy positively affected work-related outcomes; 2) skill variety, job feedback, and task significance were positively related to inner psychological needs, while skill variety, job autonomy, and task significance were positively related to work interest; 3) job motivation had different mediating effects on the relationship between employees' job characteristics and work outcomes.

Keywords: service-oriented organisation; job characteristics model; JCM; job characteristics; job motivation; work outcomes; skill variety; task identity; task significance; autonomy; feedback; inner psychological needs; work interest; personal outcomes; work-related outcomes; China.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMS.2018.091987

International Journal of Internet Manufacturing and Services, 2018 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.137 - 156

Received: 22 Jul 2017
Accepted: 08 Oct 2017

Published online: 24 May 2018 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article