Recent research has established the importance of grit as a psychological resource in yielding a number of beneficial outcomes. However, the mechanisms linking grit with its consequences are yet to be explored fully. Drawing upon self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 2000) and the self-concordance model (Sheldon and Elliot, 1999), the present study aims to examine the impact of grit on employee well-being via the indirect path of need satisfaction. Further, the study explores the moderating role of psychological empowerment in the relationship between grit and need satisfaction.
The data were gathered from Indian service sector employees (n = 798). Standardized instruments were used to measure the variables under investigation.
The findings ascertained a positive relationship between grit and employee well-being in the organizational context. The structural equation modeling analysis suggested that need satisfaction partially mediated the path leading from grit to employee well-being. Further, the findings obtained from PROCESS Macro analysis revealed a conditional moderating effect of psychological empowerment in bolstering the hypothesized mediation path involving grit, need satisfaction, and employee well-being.
The present study contributes to positive organizational behavior literature by uncovering the inter-linkage between grit and well-being in terms of intermediary mechanism. The theoretical and managerial implications, along with the limitations of the study, have been discussed.
