The pursuit of meaningfulness in one’s life through work has increased in popularity worldwide over the last decade (Ward & King, 2017). In line with this trend, a surge of research on work as a calling has emerged within the field of organizational behavior. A career calling implies a strong passion for a particular career domain and path that leads individuals to a sense of self-actualization characterized by meaning and fulfillment (Xu et al., 2023). Researchers have demonstrated that career calling is associated with numerous positive employee behaviors and outcomes, including promotive voice behavior (Chen et al., 2023), work engagement (Xie et al., 2016), and creativity and innovativeness (Huang & Zhang, 2024; X. Liu & Xu, 2022; Z. Liu et al., 2021; Lv et al., 2021). However, maintaining high levels of creativity among employees can be challenging, and helpful individuals can become passive or silent in organizations due to excessive concerns (Xu et al., 2023). Therefore, exploring the mechanisms that facilitate creativity in the workplace is of significant theoretical and practical value.

 

While studies have shown a positive link between career calling and employee creativity or innovativeness, some scholars have cautioned that career calling is a double-edged sword that does not always yield positive outcomes (Hirschi et al., 2019; Yang & Chen, 2020). For example, in a study involving Chinese nurses, Yang and Chen (2020) demonstrated that career calling can lead to work–life conflict, which hampers innovative work performance and can even induce burnout (Aman-Ullah et al., 2023). Therefore, it is possible that career calling may also have detrimental effects on employee creativity, indicating the need for further exploration.

 

Creativity is also a multifaceted concept that is contingent on a working environment that fosters creativity, and also depends on employees being proactive and taking action (Gonlepa et al., 2022). Among the various factors that may enhance employee creativity, grit is a promising resource worth further study. Gonlepa et al. (2022) found that employees who possess heightened levels of grit have greater work engagement and creativity. However, there is a lack of empirical research exploring the relationships among career calling, grit, and employee creativity. Given this research gap, further investigation into the mechanisms that facilitate employees’ self-realization of their inherent traits for heightened levels of employee creativity and outcomes is also warranted. To address this gap in the literature, this study examined the mechanisms linking career calling and employee creativity, examining grit as a mediator.

 

The theoretical model is illustrated in Figure 1.

The concept of a career calling is closely aligned with motivation theory, which posits that the extent to which individuals within an organization engage in innovation activities depends on their specific values and motivations (Pellizzoni et al., 2015). According to Xu et al. (2023), employees who perceive their work as a calling are internally motivated, thus fostering a strong passion for their work and driving them to excel in their respective fields. As a result, these individuals display a deep commitment to creative problem solving and innovative thinking (Duffy et al., 2016; Z. Liu et al., 2021). Moreover, those who feel called to their careers are more inclined to seek autonomy in their work (Duffy et al., 2018). Motivated by a sense of purpose and personal fulfillment, they exhibit a willingness to take risks, explore novel ideas, and challenge established boundaries in their pursuit of innovation (Huang & Zhang, 2024). On the basis of these arguments, we proposed the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 1: Career calling will be positively associated with employee creativity.

Grit, a novel construct in the realm of behavioral science (Jordan et al., 2019), is characterized as a trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals (Duckworth et al., 2007). Duckworth et al. (2007) posited that the development of grit hinges on possessing a strong sense of purpose, which is akin to the concept of a calling elucidated by Wrzesniewski et al. (1997). This suggests that individuals who perceive a profound career calling exhibit driven enthusiasm and a clear direction in their professional pursuits. Such fervor propels their resolve to succeed and their readiness to exert the necessary effort and commitment to accomplish their long-term aspirations, embodying the defining characteristics of grit (Afsar et al., 2019). Researchers have found that career calling is positively correlated with college students’ grit (Parks & Lee, 2020) and have demonstrated that grit predicts achievement in demanding domains above and beyond measures of talent (Duckworth & Quinn, 2009). Furthermore, individuals who identify with a career calling are able to navigate setbacks and rebound from failures or challenges due to their deep investment in their work and its intrinsic value (Hill et al., 2016; Ni et al., 2023). In addition, researchers have found that resilience plays a pivotal role in fostering grit by enabling individuals to maintain focus on their long-term objectives despite adversities (Loftus et al., 2020).

 

Perseverance and passion are both pivotal antecedents of creative endeavors (Grohman et al., 2017), which demand experimentation, risk taking, and readiness to glean insights from setbacks (Manalo & Kapur, 2018). Hence, employees exhibiting elevated levels of grit are inclined to not only persist in the face of challenges but also generate innovative and original solutions. This perspective cultivates a willingness to embrace setbacks and explore novel concepts, fostering heightened creativity (Nottingham & Larsson, 2018). In light of the foregoing discourse, we proposed the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 2: Grit will mediate the positive association between career calling and employee creativity.

The study used convenience sampling to recruit participants within a large enterprise situated in west China that has a partnership with Chongqing Industry Polytechnic College. Collaborating with the human resource department, we used intranet-enabled email to invite potential respondents to participate in this survey. The email encompassed an explanation of the research objectives, an outline of the research procedures, and an emphasis on the confidential and anonymous nature of the survey. To capture relevant data, we disseminated the surveys to both employees and their respective direct leaders. Employees completed a survey focusing on their career calling and grit, while their corresponding leaders provided ratings of their creativity levels through a separate survey. The ethics committee of Sichuan International Studies University approved this study, and all participants provided informed consent before joining the study on a voluntary basis. Out of the 583 invitations we initially distributed, 352 completed forms were returned within 1 week, representing a valid response rate of 60.38%. The final sample comprised 125 women (35.51%) and 227 men (64.49%) with a mean age of 36.48 years (SD = 7.49, range = 28–52) and a mean company tenure of 8.85 years (SD = 4.37, range = 5–18). In terms of level of education, 216 (61.36%) held a bachelor’s degree, while 136 (38.64%) possessed a postgraduate degree or higher.

We used established scales that demonstrated high levels of reliability and validity. To ensure cross-cultural equivalence, two English doctoral students proficient in Chinese translated all measures into Chinese and then back into English for use in this study. All items were rated using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

 

We measured career calling using Dik et al.’s (2012) two-item Brief Calling Scale, which has been used in both Chinese and Western contexts (Hirschi et al., 2019; Yang & Chen, 2020). A sample item is “I have a good understanding of my calling as it applies to my career.”

 

Grit was measured using Duckworth and Quinn’s (2009) eight-item Short Grit Scale. A sample item is “I am a hard worker.”

 

Employee creativity was measured using a four-item scale from Farmer et al. (2003). A sample item is “This employee generates ground-breaking ideas related to the field.”

We conducted structural equation modeling using Amos 22.0. First, we investigated the fit of the measurement model using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), then tested the hypotheses.

To assess the reliability and validity of the scales, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis. The results presented in Table 1 indicate that the three-factor model exhibited the best fit among the candidate factor models and significantly outperformed the others, suggesting that the measures possessed good discriminant validity. Table 2 shows that Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability values exceeded the minimum cutoff of .70, indicating satisfactory levels of reliability. In addition, the average variance extracted surpassed the minimum threshold of .50, affirming adequate convergent validity across all variables.

We developed a structural equation model to investigate the specific pathways through which career calling and grit impact employee creativity, either directly or indirectly. The mediating role of grit was examined using the bootstrapping method with 5,000 iterations and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Upon standardizing the effects, we observed that the path coefficient from career calling to employee creativity was statistically nonsignificant, β = .09, p = .26, 95% CI [−0.07, 0.25]; thus, Hypothesis 1 was not supported. However, we found significant positive associations between career calling and grit, β = .50, p < .001, 95% CI [0.39, 0.61], and between grit and employee creativity, β = .47, p < .001, 95% CI [0.34, 0.60]. The results indicate there was a significant indirect effect of career calling on employee creativity as mediated by grit, β = .24, p < .001, 95% CI [0.17, 0.34], supporting Hypothesis 2.

 

 

This study explored the relationship between career calling and employee creativity, examining grit as a mediator. Despite previous research highlighting the positive influence of career calling on employee creativity and innovativeness (Huang & Zhang, 2024; X. Liu & Xu, 2022; Z. Liu et al., 2021; Lv et al., 2021), we did not find a direct relationship between career calling and employee creativity. This unexpected finding suggests that merely possessing a sense of career calling may not be sufficient to stimulate creative behavior among employees. As various scholars have cautioned, career calling can have both positive and negative consequences (Hirschi et al., 2019; Yang & Chen, 2020). Through interviews with respondents, we observed that when an organization did not prioritize or support creative initiatives, even those employees who identified with a career calling perceived structural or cultural barriers that deterred them from expressing and cultivating their creativity.

 

However, in line with our second hypothesis and previous research findings, we found that grit functions as a mediating factor in the relationship between career calling and employee creativity. This observation corroborates that of Park and Lee (2020), who established a positive association between calling and grit in college students, as well as that of Gonlepa et al. (2022), who found that individuals with high levels of grit are more inclined to engage in creative activities. The mediating role of grit sheds new light on the interactions between career calling and employee creativity in an organizational context. Individuals who resonate with a sense of calling tend to exhibit creative behaviors due to their elevated levels of grit. Scholars have shown that embracing a career calling often prompts individuals to forge enduring commitments to their chosen path (Afsar et al., 2019), demonstrating fortitude to navigate obstacles and setbacks along the journey (Hill et al., 2016). Meanwhile, grit has also been found to be correlated with a growth-oriented mindset, which is characterized by the belief that skills and talents can be honed through dedication and practice (He et al., 2023). It is reasonable to postulate that both grit and a growth mindset are necessary to continuously engage in creative practices, which are not necessarily linear. Individuals with high levels of grit are more inclined to regard the inevitable failures and setbacks that are part of creative practices as avenues for learning and growth rather than manifestations of limited abilities (Beghetto & McBain, 2022; He et al., 2023). These findings underscore the significance of fostering both career calling and grit among employees to enhance their creative capabilities.

This study has practical implications for organizations seeking to foster employee creativity. To achieve this, we recommend that companies aim to enhance employees’ sense of calling and grit by aligning their personal passions and values with their job responsibilities, thus facilitating genuine enthusiasm for their work. We also recommend that organizations implement strategies to cultivate grit in their employees, such as offering training programs, mentoring opportunities, and support mechanisms. Such initiatives should aim to nurture qualities like perseverance, resilience, and passion toward work. Moreover, during the recruitment process, organizations should consider evaluating candidates’ career callings and grit as integral factors indicating their suitability for particular tasks and subsequent ability to thrive while fulfilling the requirements of the role.

This study has limitations. First, it is important to note that the cross-sectional data collected in this study do not establish causality. Future research could employ a longitudinal research design to further elucidate causal relationships. Second, this study was conducted exclusively within one specific organization, which may constrain the generalizability of our findings. Future research could encompass diverse fields of employment to enhance the external validity of our conclusions. Third, considering the nonsignificant association observed between career calling and employee creativity, it is recommended that future studies examine the contextual factors that may modify this relationship. For example, variables such as organizational climate or support could serve as potential moderators for further investigation.

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