Browsing by Subject "identification"

This thesis is about work engagement, the experience of work-related motivational fulfillment, in a team context. The present study is based on a larger survey conducted by Finnish Institute of Occupational Health with one of its client organizations. It was administered as an electronic survey in an expert organization, where work is knowledge-based, and typically conducted in teams. In such working environments team performance is highly dependent on effective knowledge sharing behaviors. Based on Job Demands - Resources model, it was suggested that meaningful team processes can be job resources that fuel work engagement. More specifically, this cross-sectional study (N=583) examined whether elements known to fuel team innovativeness, defined as team climate, were associated with individual work engagement. Self-determination theory and social identity approach were used to argue that team climate is likely to contain motivational elements, which would explain the proposed relationship. It was further proposed that typical features of knowledge-based environments, workload and role ambiguity, would be associated with work engagement, and that they would moderate the relationship between team climate and work engagement. The data was analyzed primarily by conducting linear regression analyses and multilevel modeling. The main conclusion of the study is that team climate is positively associated with work engagement, as hypothesized. Team climate elements explained together 27% of the variability in work engagement. Neither gender nor team role influenced the results. Of the four team climate elements, the most important predictor of work engagement was vision, which refers to clarity, realism, and meaningfulness of team goals. Also, concrete investments of time and effort in collaboration were important. Team membership influenced the relationship between team climate and work engagement, but this influence was very weak. The study further established that workload was positively, and role ambiguity negatively associated with work engagement, as hypothesized. Furthermore, workload weakened the relationship between team climate and work engagement, also as hypothesized. The moderation was, however, weak and only with two elements of team climate. Role ambiguity did not moderate the relationship.