Task Significance and Performance: Meaningfulness as a Mediator

The job characteristics model (JCM) predicts that task significance and work meaningfulness are related to greater job performance and that meaningfulness mediates the relation between task significance and job performance. However, these propositions have received limited attention, especially when linking meaningful work to job performance. Therefore, we tested claims from the JCM with a large, diverse sample of working adults using structural equation modeling. Results revealed that self-reported performance was significantly related to both meaningful work and task significance. Moreover, meaningful work fully mediated the relation between task significance and two measures of self-reported job performance. Limitations and implications for further research are discussed