How to Make a Newcomer Happy? The Mediating Role of Career Commitment on the Relationship Between Unmet Expectations and Job Satisfaction

This study focuses on the relationships of unmet expectations to occupational commitment and job satisfaction. The direct and indirect (via occupational commitment) effects of unmet expectations on job satisfaction were investigated in 397 new Chinese employees. For this purpose, structural equation modeling and bootstrap method was used, and fit indices and Chi square values were compared between partially-mediated and fully-mediated models. Results confirmed the ubiquity of unmet expectations in newcomers, and confirmatory factor analysis verified its latent structure including unmet prestige, unmet health, and unmet progress. Structural equation modeling and Chi square test indicated the partial mediation of occupational commitment on the relationship between unmet expectations and job satisfaction. Testing the mediating effects using the bootstrap method also revealed a significant path from unmet expectations to job satisfaction through occupational commitment. Findings extended those of prior studies and shed light on the protection of occupational commitment to job satisfaction; these findings provide enlightenment on promoting job satisfaction for new employees in their first few days.