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Sense of coherence and work characteristics: A cross‐lagged structural equation model among managers
Author(s) -
Feldt Taru,
Kivimäki Mika,
Rantala Anne,
Tolvanen Asko
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of occupational and organizational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0963-1798
DOI - 10.1348/0963179041752655
Subject(s) - lisrel , structural equation modeling , psychology , path analysis (statistics) , path coefficient , social psychology , econometrics , statistics , mathematics
This study investigated the dominance of predictive relationships between Sense of Coherence (SOC) and work characteristics (organizational climate and job control) in cross‐lagged longitudinal data with two measurement points and a time lag of 3 years. The sample consisted of 615 (587 men and 28 women) managers, aged between 27 and 64 years. The cross‐lagged longitudinal analysis was done by the use of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) within the framework by LISREL. The results of the chi‐square difference tests indicated that the model where SOC at Time 1 predicted work characteristics at Time 2 better accounted for the data than the competitive models. However, the only significant path in addition to test‐retest stabilities was the path from SOC at Time 1 to organizational climate at Time 2 indicating that high SOC predicts good organizational climate over a 3‐year follow‐up period. The path from SOC at Time 1 to job control at Time 2 was not significant. Thus, it seems that SOC, as a relatively stable disposition, influences the ability to mobilize and generate social resources in the workplace but not the ability to produce job control.