Achievement orientation and psychological involvement in job tasks: The interactive effects of work alienation and intrinsic job satisfaction

As the tendency to strive for competence in one's work, achievement orientation is considered to engender psychological involvement in job tasks (i.e., job involvement-role). However, this study posits that the positive relationship between achievement orientation and job involvement-role is moderated by an attitude of disaffection toward the work role in general (i.e., high work alienation) and by dissatisfaction with the content of one's present job (i.e., low intrinsic job satisfaction). The results of hierarchical moderated regression analyses support the existence of complex interactions and suggest that a positive outlook toward the work role is necessary for achievement orientation to translate into greater job involvement-role. Practical implications and directions for future research on job involvement role are considered.