engleski

Determining a Multilevel Mediating Role of Work Characteristics in Relationship between Macro-organizational Variables and Work Performance Outcomes

The paper presents an in-depth research on the link between 4 macro-organizational and 15 micro-organizational variables from a multilevel perspective, using a HLM methodology. The research was primarily oriented towards understanding the nature of the influence which macro-organizational, organization design concepts have on their micro-organizational, work design counterparts. Multilevel analysis was conducted on a research sample of 51 organizations and 1285 work positions. The results showed that cognitive and social characteristics of organizations have significant influence on work characteristics. While the influence of cognitive characteristics is much stronger and more widespread, the influence of social characteristics also exists, although it was present only partially. Furthermore, a lower-level mediation analysis was conducted in order to test a mediating role of work characteristics in relationship between macro-organizational variables and work performance outcomes. Research findings revealed a partial existence of mediating effects in almost 50% of all possible relationships. They were more represented in the case of contextual performance than in the case of task performance as an outcome variable, and with a more significant influence regarding cognitive characteristics (cross-functional training in particular) than social characteristics of organizations. Results led to the conclusion that some macro-organizational variables have a more or less direct influence on work performance, as well as to the insight that some work characteristics are more relevant than others, depending on particular organization design practice.

organization design; work design; work characteristics; work performance; multilevel analysis; lower-level mediation

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