Antecedents of psychological capital: The role of work design

Aim/purpose – Though psychological capital has become a hot topic in the recent years, scholars have given little attention to its antecedents. This study used the job characteristics model (Hackman & Oldham, 1975) as a framework to examine the relationship between the five job characteristics and the four components of psychological capital. Moreover, task performance is examined as an outcome of psychological capital. Design/methodology/approach – Using structural equation modelling, data were obtained from Egyptian professionals (N = 251). The survey included measures of psychological capital and job characteristics as well as task performance, which was rated by employees’ supervisors. Findings – Results indicate that the five job characteristics of skill variety, task significance, job feedback, job identity and job autonomy are positively related to the four components of psychological capital. Moreover, hope, self-efficacy and resilience were positively related to task performance. However, Egyptian employees’ optimism was not found to be related to task performance. Research implications/limitations – Results contribute to a better understanding of what enhances psychological capital in the workplace. Originality/value/contribution – The current study is the first to integrate the theory of work design with the psychological capacities of hope, optimism, resilience and self- -efficacy. Research on the development of psychological capital has been limited to interventions with little or no attention given to macro or organisational factors that could contribute to its enhancement. Moreover, it is the first to link psychological capital to job performance in an Arab country.