Autonomous but lonely: exploring the double-edged impact of idiosyncratic deals on career sustainability
Heng Zhao et al.
What the paper says
Purpose This study investigated the relationship between idiosyncratic deals and career sustainability. Based on self-construal theory and the JD-R model, the moderating role of self-construal was examined, followed by the mediating roles of work loneliness and job autonomy. Design/methodology/approach To test our hypotheses, we conducted a three-wave field study with a sample of 406 employees from high-tech firms in Beijing. Findings The results indicated that self-construal plays a critical role in the relationship between idiosyncratic deals and career sustainability. Specifically, employees with higher levels of interdependent self-construal are more likely to experience increased work loneliness when they receive idiosyncratic deals, which reduces their career sustainability. By contrast, employees with higher levels of independent self-construal are more likely to experience greater job autonomy when receiving idiosyncratic deals, thereby enhancing their career sustainability. Originality/value The study reveals the double-edged effects of idiosyncratic deals on employees' career sustainability, providing a more comprehensive perspective for research on career sustainability and its managerial implications.
Evidence weight
Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40
| F · citation impact | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
| M · momentum | 0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07 |
| V · venue signal | 0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03 |
| R · text relevance † | 0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20 |
† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.