Vocational Calling Scale – Chinese Version

Description

The term “Calling” has various translations within Chinese academia. For instance, Tian Xizhou et al. translate “Calling” as “呼唤” (hu huan), Zhao Xiaoyun translates it as “感召” (gan zhao), and Zhao Haixia translates it as “工作使命感” (gong zuo shi ming gan). The concept of vocational calling originally stems from Western Christianity, where it has traditionally been defined in terms of serving God, particularly in specific religious occupations. Early definitions by scholars like Davidson and Dalton framed vocational calling as a divine summons to a particular profession aimed at serving others, suggesting a significant link to religious faith among those who feel a strong vocational calling. However, later research has progressively detached the notion of vocational calling from religious paradigms, recognizing that it also exists among individuals without religious beliefs. The definition of vocational calling has evolved to encompass professions beyond the clergy, focusing on the individual’s intention to pursue a specific career.

Authors and Contact Email

Information not available.

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between vocational calling and work attitudes among knowledge workers, emphasizing how individuals perceive and relate to their careers beyond monetary and status incentives.

Test Year

The survey was conducted from December 2013 to February 2014.

Administration Method and Scoring

The survey distributed a total of 1200 questionnaires through both centralized and decentralized methods. Centralized distributions targeted specific companies, whereas decentralized distributions included knowledge workers from various industries across multiple regions in China. A total of 1059 questionnaires were returned, of which the effective sample size was 981, leading to an effective recovery rate of 92.635%. The scoring was conducted using a Likert 7-point scale, where 1 represents “完全不同意” (strongly disagree) and 7 represents “完全同意” (strongly agree).

Reliability and Validity

The Chinese-translated Calling Scale (职业使命感量表, CS) has demonstrated good reliability and validity within various cultural contexts, including clinical nurses and students.

Factors and Subscales

The research identifies three orientations related to work values:
1. The survival-oriented approach (谋生导向) which views work primarily as a means to earn a living.
2. The career-oriented approach (职业导向) which appreciates work for professional development and career progression.
3. The calling-oriented approach (呼唤导向) which sees work as an integral part of one’s life and a source of personal fulfillment.

Keywords

Vocational calling, work motivation, knowledge workers, Calling Scale (CS), Chinese culture.

Items in Chinese

1. 我对我的工作充满热情。
2. 我享受做我的工作胜过其他任何事情。
3. 从事我的职业让我有巨大的满足感。
4. 为了我的职业，我会不惜一切代价。
5. 每当向别人描述我是谁时，我通常首先想到的是我的职业。
6. 即使面临重重困难，我仍将坚持选择从事我的职业。
7. 我的职业将一直是我生命的一部分。
8. 我对我的职业感到有一种使命感。
9. 从某种意义上，我内心深处一直装着我的职业。
10. 即使没有做这份工作时，我也常考虑要从事它。
11. 投身目前的职业让我的生命活得更有意义。
12. 从事我的职业能够深深地触动我的内心，给我带来喜悦。

Items in English

1. I am passionate about my work.
2. I enjoy doing my work more than anything else.
3. My profession gives me a great sense of satisfaction.
4. I would do anything for my profession.
5. When describing who I am, I usually think of my profession first.
6. Even when faced with significant difficulties, I will persist in choosing my profession.
7. My profession will always be a part of my life.
8. I feel a sense of mission regarding my profession.
9. In a sense, my profession is deep within me.
10. I often think about pursuing this work even when I am not doing it.
11. Engaging in my current profession makes my life more meaningful.
12. My profession deeply touches my heart and brings me joy.

References

裴宇晶,赵曙明.(2015).知识型员工职业召唤、职业承诺与工作态度关系研究.管理科学,28(02),103-114.