Research Examines the Value of Self-Control in the Workplace

Published: September 1, 2021 | Last Updated: May 31, 2024by Natalie Davis

Summary of:

Wang, Y., Chen, K., Dou, K., & Liu, Y. (2021). Linking self-control to voluntary behaviors at workplace: The mediating role of job satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.530297

Background & Theory

This article evaluates the role of self-control and how it contributes to one’s behavior in the workplace. The initial hypothesis was that job satisfaction is the mediating relationship between self-control and either organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) or counterproductive work behavior (CWB).

Research Questions

Wang et al., in “Linking self-control to voluntary behaviors at workplace: The mediating role of job satisfaction” (2021), seek to address the following questions:

    1. How does self-control affect our behaviors in the workplace?
    2. How does one’s job satisfaction impact this relationship?

Methods

For this study, there were a total of 1101 participants, all of whom were working in China. The participant demographics included 493 males/608 females, aged between 18-64 years old, with the average employee working roughly 4.5 years at their organization. All of the participants were provided a questionnaire with a 5-point or 7-point scale that the participants rated their feelings (the scales varied based on the questionnaire sections). The questions related to self-control, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and counterproductive work behavior. The data was then analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, a hypothesized mediation model, and confirmatory factor analyses.

Results

The results showed that the authors’ hypotheses were correct – self control and job satisfaction both play an important role in overall workplace behavior. Self-control and job satisfaction had a positive relationship, though self-control and CWB had a negative relationship. Additionally, job satisfaction was associated with OCB in a positive relationship and with CWB in a negative relationship. Job satisfaction was shown to be a mediator in the relationship between self-control and either OCB or CWB. Overall, the more self-control a person has, the more likely they are to be satisfied in their job, and the more likely OCB behavior is.

What This Means

  • Self-control is a very important skill to have, and organizations may benefit from finding ways to incorporate training related to this.
  • Self-control can help lead to greater job satisfaction (in part due to one’s ability to cope and prevent/resolve issues), and this in turn leads to greater OCB, which benefits the employee and the organization.
  • Creating an environment that allows for positive job satisfaction might encourage employees to have more self-control, leading to the benefits above, and lowering the chances of CWB taking place.

Final Takeaway

For Consultants: Understand how self-control may be applied in the workplace and how leadership and work-related conflict training might incorporate this.

For Everyone: Self-control has many benefits, one of which might help you have a more positive work experience. Being self-reflective can help you identify areas you might need to improve related to self-control.

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Natalie Davis

Natalie Davis is an Executive Assistant at George Mason University, which is the largest public research university in Virginia. Her role as a C-level executive assistant has made her an expert in communication, public relations, administrative support, and customer service. In the role of Research Writer for Pollack Peacebuilding, Natalie examines the latest dispute resolution research and applies it to both content distribution and PPS’ best practices. Learn more about Natalie here!