Modeling perceived job productivity and its antecedents considering gender as a moderator

This study proposes a conceptual model for examining the formation of perceived job productivity and its antecedents. In the model, leader–member exchange and job satisfaction both directly and indirectly influence perceived job productivity, with the latter effect occurring through the mediation of organizational commitment. Gender moderates each model path. The moderating effects are simultaneously tested using data from 344 engineering staff of a large Taiwanese high-tech manufacturer. Lastly, the empirical findings and their implications are discussed. © 2009 Western Social Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Organizational commitment is a psychological state in which an employee identifies with his or her organization and organizational goals and desires to maintain membership with the organization (Lin & Ma, 2004). Various studies have noted that organizational commitment is an important influence on job productivity, and that the relationship between the two constructs is positive and significant (Baugh & Roberts, 1994). Job productivity was examined in previous research using different self-reported measures in terms of productivity change, performance rating, absenteeism, and work time used for personal matters (Joo & Garman, 1998). That such job productivity differs across the genders has been discussed somewhat in studies related to gender issues (e.g., Greenhaus & Parasuraman, 1993; Sinangil & Ones, 2003). An individuals’ job productivity is an important indicator of the entire organizational productivity given that ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +886 4 22183289. E-mail address: [email protected] (C.-K. Chiu). 0362-3319/$ – see front matter © 2009 Western Social Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.soscij.2008.12.013 C.-P. Lin et al. / The Social Science Journal 46 (2009) 192–200 193 employees’ perceived job productivity is critical and influential to the overall effectiveness of their organization (Elmuti, 1996; Frohman, 1978). Despite significant social science research over the past two decades on the development of organizational commitment, the potential moderating impact of gender on the relationship among organizational commitment, perceived job productivity and other factors (e.g., job satisfaction) has received far less attention than it deserves. Thus, this study complements previous research by comparing work-related attitudes and perceptions among females and males in high-tech occupations. A gendered analysis is essential to learn and delineate the process of global restructuring, which reflects heightened international competition, a greater emphasis on markets, and rapid high-tech change (Macdonald, 1991). Nevertheless, very little is known about the differing work attitudes between females and males in the high-tech industry. Although many studies have examined the attitudes of high-tech staff in industrial society, they have focused mainly on males. Moreover, much of the early literature on the work of females studied middle-class, bluecollar females. Investigating whether or not gender differences exist in staff reactions to their workplace (such as organizational commitment) and jobs (such as perceived job productivity). This study differs from previous works in two different crucial aspects. First, previous studies have made gender comparisons for blue-collar workers (e.g., Loscocco, 1990) and publishing firm sales representatives (Russ & McNeilly, 1995), but the applicability of these findings for high-tech white-collar professionals is uncertain. This study incorporates gender as a moderator and uses a sample from various engineering departments of a leading high-tech manufacturer in Taiwan. Particularly, the findings of this study based on the surveyed staff from engineering departments are likely extrapolated to a range of white-collar professions. Second, gender has been discussed in most studies from the perspective of its main effects rather than of its moderating effects. This study complements previous studies and thus provides critical managerial implications related to gender.