The adverse effect of materialism on employee engagement in China
Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management
ISSN: 2040-8005
Article publication date: 10 October 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of materialism on employee engagement in China. Mediating role of employees’ autonomy need satisfaction in workplace was also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 217 employees from various companies located across 19 provinces and towns in China. These participants completed three self-report scales, including materialistic values, employee engagement and autonomy need satisfaction at work. Pearson correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze data.
Findings
Results revealed that as hypothesized, autonomy need satisfaction at work fully mediated the effects of materialism on employee engagement.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited by identifying the measure of materialism that is not robust at an organizational and national level. Similarly, lack of existing literature including use of cross-sectional research design around materialism also added to the limitations of this study. Limitations aside, the current study suggests that increasing materialism within Chinese organizations is likely to exert potentially significant adverse effects on employee engagement and, hence, the overall quality of work.
Originality/value
The current study has empirically discovered a possible relationship between materialism and employee engagement, which is rarely examined in previous studies. In addition, the study also proposes a psychological mechanism through which materialistic values can influence employee engagement. The findings are practically important to human resource management practices in China and theoretically important for the exploration of antecedents of employee engagement.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The research was supported The National Education Science “Twelve-Five Planning”, 2013 China’s Ministry of Education for young scientists’ programs (No. EBA130367; “The materialism of the contemporary young people: The role of teacher and its mechanism”). The research was also supported by Wuhan University (Program No. 113/413100011).
Citation
Xie, T., Shi, Y.-n. and Zhou, J. (2016), "The adverse effect of materialism on employee engagement in China", Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 100-114. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHRM-07-2016-0013
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited